The Swamp
by PearLynn
Summary: During their entrapment in the Foggy Swamp, Katara sees a vision that has her question her former enemy and try to become friends with him. Will it make a difference in their meetings or will he go down the path we already know? *On short hiatus*
1. Mirage

_**The Swamp**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Chapter 1: Mirage**

It smelled. Horribly. Like old rotten tea leaves. At least, that's what Katara thought. The only comfort she felt right now was knowing that she was surrounded by water, even if it was dirty groggy swamp water. Perhaps it was the smell, or the eerie feeling she got crawling up her neck everywhere she turned, but Katara felt truly scared while she trudged through the bog water looking for Aang and Sokka.

And it didn't help that she thought she was hallucinating. After hours of yelling for her friends, she could have sworn she saw her mother. And after running towards her, Katara saw that it was merely a rotten tree stump. She hasn't ever cried that hard in a long time.

Now she was walking along a tree branch, trying to get to the highest point she could manage so she could try and spot her brother or the Avatar. But no such luck so far. She had been trying this method for almost two hours but she couldn't seem to find anyone.

"This is hopeless," she sighed as she plopped herself down against the trunk of a thicker tree. She pushed her frizzing hair out of her eyes and lifted her braid off of her neck to get some coolness back there. The swamp was ridiculously humid, not to mention foggy and dark. It was impossible to be able to find anything.

Katara was feeling down on her own luck, like she was going to be stuck there forever if she didn't find the boys soon. And as night time slowly approached, she started to feel scared and truly alone.

She watched as the last of the sun's light faded into shadows and the swamp became illuminated with the filtered silver glow of the moon. Even at her peak of power, Katara felt weak. She didn't even want to stand up. After seeing the mirage of her mother, her heart was tightening hard in her chest. She felt nauseous and down trodden. If she could, she would curl into a ball and cry like there was no tomorrow. But there wasn't time for that. Not when her friends were out there looking for her. She stood up and took a deep breath, steadying herself for another trip down the tree.

After she reached the roots, Katara looked around, trying to find a good path to take. Through much deliberation, she decided to go right. Nothing else seemed to pop out at her. So she walked cautiously along the moss-covered ground, trying to spot any movement or clue as to where Aang and Sokka were.

Then, she found herself in the middle of a clearing. The ground raised and the moon shining on the crest of the hill. And that's when she saw him.

There was a boy. Well, not a boy. But not really a man either. He was young, but not much older than Sokka. His back was to her, but he was wearing a simple Earth Kingdom commoner outfit: brown pants and a green shirt underneath a dark green tunic. He had ink black hair that hung in a shag down his neck. His shoulders were broad, and she could tell even through his clothing that he was very fit, as if he had worked hard every day of his life. He was standing still, and looking up to the sky, as if he was stargazing. Katara approached him slowly, trying not to startle him.

"Excuse me?" she called to him. He didn't move. "Can you help me? I'm lost and I'm trying to find my friends."

He lowered his head and looked straight forward. Then he slowly turned his head to the right and looked over his shoulder at her. In the moonlight, his skin looked white. Almost like snow. His eyes were practically glowing as he stared at her. She couldn't help but feel mesmerized as he stared back at her.

"Can you help me?"

He turned his head a little more so his shoulders were slightly turned towards her now. She still could only see the right side of his face, but he was looking at her penetratingly with that one eye. For some reason, he seemed familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it but it felt like she had already met him before.

"Who are you?"

The man smirked and turned away from her, looking back up at the stars. She approached him again, walking up to his right side and looking up at his peaceful face. His jaw was hard and chiseled. His nose was narrow and straight. His cheekbones were high, but in a masculine way. And then that's when she noticed his eyes.

They were a piercing gold, a strong and fierce color that she knew only belonged to Fire Nation aristocrats. But his were different than the ones she had seen before. They were soft, and oddly warm. Like swirling pools of liquid amber.

"Do I know you?" she asked softly. He lowered his head and looked straight forward. Then he lifted the corners of his mouth into a smirk that at that immediate moment made her freeze to the ground. He turned his head and looked straight at her. His mouth was still in that lopsided smirk, but not in the one she had remembered. It was softer, more genuine. More for a lover than an enemy. And his eyes were in a gentle expression, not the icy glare she had seen on multiple occasions. The only similarity on his face was the angry crimson scar spread across his left eye. But even right now it didn't look as fierce and ugly as it had in the past. Actually, when she looked at him, he didn't look anything like she had remembered from their fights. Right now, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation looked human.

"Z-Zuko?" she stammered. He raised his good eyebrow and his smirk grew into a grin. The expression on his face was unknown to Katara. It was too intimate to be friendly and it was creeping her out. Wasn't this the same guy who had hunted her and her friends around the world trying to capture Aang? Wasn't this the man who took her mother's necklace and tried to barter Aang's life with it? No. The man standing in front of her was different. His clothes were ratty and torn. His hair wasn't in that ridiculous shaved top knot. In fact, it looked as if he had cut the top knot off and grown it out for a couple of months. And he didn't have that normal scowl.

Zuko smiled at her again and reached for her hand. When he clasped her fingers, Katara felt an electric current flow through her veins. Not the kind that hurts, but the shock that brings your whole body to attention. And boy, did she feel alive. He smiled again and looked back up at the stars and she followed his gaze. Other than the moon, there weren't any bright objects in the sky. It seemed odd to Katara that the only thing she could see was the bright white disk glowing down on them.

She felt puzzled and looked back down at Zuko. He was still holding her hand and smiling up at the sky.

"Isn't this perfect?" he murmured. She kept staring at him without saying a word. He looked down at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "This is all I want."

"What is?" Katara managed to choke out. It was so odd with him doing this, it felt like a dream. Never in her wildest dreams would Zuko be holding her hand and looking so gentle and, Spirits help her, handsome.

He turned to her fully and grasped her free hand, "Being here with you. Nothing else matters right now. I love you, Katara."

He started leaning into her, his eyes fluttering closed and his lips parting for a kiss Katara could never fully anticipate. But for some reason, with her heart pittering and pattering in her chest and her stomach flipping like a circus performer, she couldn't help but lean in and close her eyes, too, anticipating the soft touch of his inviting lips in the moonlight.

But after a moment, the kiss never came. Katara slowly opened her eyes and was greeted with darkness. The prince was no longer standing in front of her. In fact, she wasn't even in a clearing anymore. She was standing on a hill underneath the moss-covered canopy. Her heart sped up again in disappointment and felt it tighten in her chest. She wanted that kiss to come. She wanted to feel Zuko's lips capture her own and wrap her in a warm embrace.

Just like when she mistook the rotted tree as her mother, the swamp tricked her again. She felt the sobs break through her body again as she broke down in tears. She couldn't help the flow of emotions she felt as they swarmed all around her. She was upset because she was alone, confused because she had seen a mirage of Zuko, and devastated because she didn't get to kiss him.

_What is wrong with me? He's my enemy! I shouldn't be wanting to kiss him and hold him and touch every inch of his body- STOP! This is wrong. What is going on?!_

Then, Katara straightened herself up and brushed off her skirt. She looked around and took a deep breath, trying to figure out where she should go now.

But before she could decide on a direction, a blur of orange and yellow body slammed into her and tumbled with her down the hill onto a tree root, where they collided with a solid body of blue and gray.

….

_**A/N**__ Welcome to __**The Swamp**_!

_I am obsessed with Zutara, if you couldn't tell from my own pieces of work and the ones I have favored/followed. It's my cup of tea. This may or may not be a typical Zutara story, depending on how the first poll goes._

_But rest assured, it will be as best as I can make it._

_Thanks again for reading!_

_Chao, bitches._

_3_


	2. The Calm After the Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the lines from the show used in this story.

**Chapter 2: The Calm after the Storm**

They had her cornered. The woman from the Fire Nation had been backed into a hallowed out wall of an abandoned building. Katara was sure they had her beat. The woman stared down her attackers and smirked at them.

"Well, look at this," she said coolly. "Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done." She raised her hands in surrender_,_ "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

_Princess? Does that mean-? _In the corner of her eye, Katara spotted Zuko and his uncle staring down the girl as well. Then, the princess lunged forward and shot a blast of blue fire at the older man, who screamed out in pain. Zuko exclaimed out in horror then turned back towards the girl and joined Katara, Aang, Toph and Sokka as they threw attacks at the princess. The elements collided and created an explosion, sending a cloud of smoke around the group.

Katara covered her eyes and waited for the smoke to settle. When the air was clear, it was obvious that the woman had escaped. Katara turned around and saw Zuko kneeling next to his uncle.

He had his head buried in his hands and groaned with anger. She noticed he flinched as the group approached and he whipped around and stared them down with a furious expression, "Get away from us!"

Katara stepped forward and reached towards him, "Zuko, I can help."

He shook with rage and sent an arc of fire over their heads, "LEAVE!"

Aang looked to Katara and tugged her sleeve, "Come on!"

She pulled her arm away, "No! I'm going to help him!"

Zuko was still hunched over his uncle's prone body. Katara knelt next to him trying not to anger him anymore. He snapped his head up and glared at her.

"I told you to leave," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Zuko, I have healing abilities," Katara stated calmly, "I can help him. Please."

He stared at her, seething.

"No."

"Zuko, I'm just-"

"We don't need your help."

Toph stepped to Zuko's right and stomped her foot, sending the Prince back a couple feet and three slabs of rock came up, encasing him to the ground.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he shouted, squirming as much as he could.

"Sorry, Sparky," Toph started. "Katara is going to help your uncle, whether you like it or not! Now sit still or I'll crush you."

Zuko stopped moving and his face was downturned into a deep snarl, "Fine."

Katara nodded and uncorked her water skin, gloving her hands with the water and guiding it over Iroh's burn.

"Wow, Toph," Sokka laughed. "I'm impressed. You managed to shut Zuko up. We should have added you to the group a long time ago!"

"You'd shut your mouth if you knew what was good for you, peasant," Zuko growled lowly. Katara shook her head and focused back on Iroh's wound. It wasn't that deep, but the fire damaged the skin pretty badly. He was breathing evenly and his heart rate was normal, which was a good sign.

Katara let the water seep into Iroh's skin when she finished. She rolled back onto the balls of her feet and stood up. Turning around, she addressed Zuko, "He's healed. But I would like to keep an eye on him overnight, if you don't mind?"

"Do I have a choice?" he grumbled, keeping his eyes on his uncle.

"Not really," Toph smirked as she released him from his rock prison. He stayed in the same spot and glared up at the blind earthbender.

"And don't try anything. It's four on one," Sokka warned, pointing his boomerang at the exiled prince.

"I wasn't planning on it," Zuko stood slowly and dusted himself off. He strode past Katara without sparing her a glance and bent down. He scooped up Iroh and carried him to the closest building that wasn't currently on fire. Katara watched as he laid Iroh gently on the ground and walked out. He glanced warily at the group as they watched him approach an ostrich horse standing on the side of the building and unload his supplies. Once Zuko went back inside, Aang turned to his group.

"We should get some rest," he sighed. "It's been a long day."

"Hear, hear!" Sokka and Toph shouted together. Katara kept staring at the building where Zuko and Iroh had gone.

"Katara," Aang approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said absent mindedly. She blinked and turned to the airbender, "We should make some dinner."

Aang nodded and glided over to Appa. Katara stayed in the same spot and looked back at the building housing the firebenders. She sighed and watched as Appa flew over and landed behind her. Sokka began tossing down some supplies and Aang caught them, throwing them into the empty building across the street from Zuko and Iroh. Katara joined in and started setting up their sleeping bags.

After an hour, the sun was setting over the mountains and Sokka had started a fire. Katara was stirring a soup when Aang approached her.

"Should we leave as soon as we wake up tomorrow?"

Katara shook her head and lifted the ladle to her mouth, tasting the soup, "I need to check on Iroh. We can leave after I do it."

Aang paused and Katara felt his eyes boring into her. After a moment, he spoke up, "Why _are _you helping him?"

Katara sighed, "Because I don't turn my back on people who need me, regardless of their nationality. I think as the Avatar, you would understand."

Aang raised his hands in a defensive manner, "No I do. Just seeming what Zuko has done to us-"

"Zuko's not the one hurt, is he?" Katara shot an accusatory glance at Aang.

"No, he's not," the airbender frowned. "But Iroh has been with him that whole time."

"Yet he didn't actually do anything," Katara replied simply. She turned away from the food and looked up at Aang, "Just look at them. They look lost. Hell, I barely recognized Zuko. Something happened after the North Pole."

"Do you think they're running?" Aang asked quietly, "I mean, that girl did call them 'traitors'. Maybe they're on the run."

"Maybe," Katara replied softly, looking over Aang's shoulder to the dark building across the street. "I'm going to go see if he wants some food."

She stood and brushed the dirt off of her dress and strode towards the firebenders. She approached the doorway and stopped at the entrance. "Zuko?"

She saw his head move up and his gold eyes narrowed as he stared at her. He didn't answer.

"I was, uh… wondering if you wanted some stew?"

He remained silent, his gold eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Come on, it's just one meal," she tried reasoning. "It won't kill you."

"How can I be so sure?" his curt reply was quiet, but loud enough to be heard in the stillness of the room.

Katara crossed her arms and scowled at him, "Because we aren't like that. I can bring it to you. You don't have to join us."

He remained silent, eyes boring into hers again. Even in the darkness, Katara could study him closely. He was wearing a torn brown travelling robe over a long sleeved green shirt and long green pants. His entire outfit was covered with dirt. His hair was no longer in the top knot, now grown out to a short shag, sticking out in every direction. His face was still downturned in his notorious scowl, glaring daggers at her.

She huffed, "Fine, starve." She turned to walk away but his voice stopped her.

"I never said 'no', did I?" he said flatly.

She looked over her shoulder and could see in the dim lighting from the fire and moon, he was smirking at her. She frowned, "I guess you didn't."

Katara returned to their area and went to her bag, where she pulled out a spare bowl. She went to the fire and bent out some of the soup and carefully put it in the bowl, along with a second bowl for herself. As she was walking back towards Zuko, Sokka stepped in front of her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I'm bring Zuko some dinner," she replied snappily.

"I don't think so," Sokka reached for one of the bowls, but Katara pulled her arm away. "We agreed to help Iroh, not him. We shouldn't be feeding our enemy."

Katara glared at Sokka and pushed past him, "I'm just being nice, Sokka. Maybe you should try it."

He grasped her shoulder, "I just don't trust him."

She sighed, "I don't either. But I can't let him starve while we're eating heartily just a couple feet away from him."

She yanked her shoulder away and headed back to Zuko. She entered the threshold of his "campsite", letting her eyes adjust to the dark. He hadn't moved since she left a few minutes ago, his eyes still cautiously watching her. She approached slowly and held out the bowl. He hesitantly grabbed it. She smiled and sat down across from him, holding her bowl in her lap. He stared at her incredulously.

He took a sip of the soup, not taking his eyes off of her. She smiled wider at him, trying to break the tension.

"You didn't have to stay here," he finally said after taking a few more sips. "Go eat with your friends."

"I didn't want you to eat alone," she replied delightfully.

"I'm not alone."

"Well maybe I wanted to eat with you," she snapped.

He stared at her with a neutral expression, lowering the bowl into his lap. She couldn't get a good read on him, he just stared at her blankly, like he was anticipating her to do something bad.

"Who was that girl?" she finally asked after a long moment of tense silence.

"My sister, Azula."

Katara giggled and he glared at her, "I'm sorry. Are all family reunions like that for you?"

He remained silent as he lifted the bowl gradually back to his lips. After a long sip and swallow, he lowered it back down, not tearing his eyes away from Katara's.

She broke the contact and looked away to Iroh, "I shouldn't have asked."

Zuko stayed silent, still keeping his eyes on her. He was watchful of her, she could tell. Either he was waiting to attack her, or was afraid she was.

"Why are you here?"

She looked back him, her expression puzzled. He kept a straight face, analyzing her.

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I just thought you would like some company, considering what happened with your uncle."

"I'm fine," he replied flatly. He took another gulp of his soup and laid the bowl down next to him. He crossed his arms and kept staring at her. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't exactly warming to have the Prince of the Fire Nation studying her. She got a sudden flashback of what she had envisioned in the swamp. Right now, he was wearing similar robes to the ones he donned in the mirage. These were more worn and plain, but the same color scheme. His hair was shorter now than it had been in her vision. Even now, his expression was much more relaxed as she had remembered from their past encounters, but it wasn't the soft and happy one he had in the swamp.

_Besides, that was just your imagination. Don't get your head too wrapped around that._

He rose his eyebrow at her. She just shook her head and took another drink of her soup then lowered her gaze to her lap.

"Why are you helping my uncle?" Zuko asked suddenly. She looked back up at him, pure curiosity gracing his regal features. There weren't any hints of hostility, just genuine interest. "I heard you and your brother talking out there. You don't need to be helping me."

Katara sighed and placed her empty bowl to her side, "I don't know. I just think that if someone gets that badly injured by a member of their own family, they deserve the benefit of the doubt."

"You didn't even know she was my family until just a couple minutes ago," he retorted.

Katara huffed and furrowed her brow, "You're making this more difficult than it needs to be, Zuko."

"I didn't ask for your help," he snapped. "I distinctly remember ordering you to leave."

"Well I'm not yours to order around," she spat back. "And I never turn my back on people who need me, no matter who they are. Perhaps you should be more grateful I saved your uncle's life instead of pushing away the one person that can help him!"

She stood and grabbed his bowl from his side and stormed out, calling over her shoulder, "Oh and you're welcome for the dinner."

She stomped over to the other side of the clearing and threw the bowls haphazardly into the pile of dirty dishes made by her friends. Toph was already curled up in her rock tent and Aang was snuggled against one of Appa's legs, snoring softly. Sokka was meticulously sharpening his boomerang, watching the door to Zuko and Iroh's building.

"Did that jerk hurt you?" he asked as he stood up, boomerang at the ready.

Katara scoffed, "No. He's being difficult. Go to bed Sokka."

Sokka stared at his sister and nodded reluctantly. He headed into their abandoned building and crawled into his sleeping bag, almost falling asleep instantly.

Katara looked over the fire to the opposite building, sighing as she stared. She knelt down and covered the fire with some dirt and made her way to her makeshift bed, turning once to look at the building again. She had to blink and readjust her eyes, but she could have sworn she saw Zuko standing in the doorway, watching her.

….

Katara woke first out of her group. The sun was barely peaking over the mountain range, lighting the abandoned city with a soft glow. She rose herself out of her sleeping bag and pulled some water from her skin to splash on her face.

After a few minutes, she stretched and headed out of her shelter. Her friends were all asleep, leaving her to her own thoughts. She was broken out of her reverie when she heard some voices.

"Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack," she heard Zuko say.

A groan followed, "Somehow, that's not so surprising."

_So Iroh's awake. That's good. _Katara smiled.

"I hope I made it the way you like it," Zuko said gently. More gentle than she had ever heard from him. It surprised her.

She heard Iroh grunt, "Good. That was very... uhhh... bracing."

A second later, Katara saw some liquid get tossed through the window. She giggled to herself. _So the Prince can't make tea. That's rich._

Then Zuko spoke again, "So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

Katara began approaching the building as Zuko spoke, his voice getting louder as he reached the end of his statement.

"No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down," Iroh said plainly. After a second of silence, Iroh spoke up, "We have a visitor."

Katara entered the door and smiled at the pair of firebenders sitting on the floor, "Good morning."

Zuko grunted and looked away with a frustrated frown on his face. Iroh grinned widely, "Now, Zuko, be kind. This magnificent young lady saved my life. You can at least show her some courtesy."

"It's nothing, Iroh," Katara said as she waved her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, Miss Katara," he replied with a soft smile. "Thank you for healing me. I am in debt to you and your kindness."

Katara blushed at Iroh's flattery and she walked around to his side and knelt down next to him, "You mind if I check on it?"

"By all means."

Katara unwrapped the bandage she had covered the wound with. The burn was more like an irritated rash, swollen and red. She touched it gingerly and sighed, "It's not the best, but we can do another session and it should be as good as new by the time I'm finished."

"Splendid!" Iroh exclaimed delightfully. "While you do that, would you mind if I did a lesson with my nephew?"

"It's no problem," she smiled up at the seasoned bender. "Just let me go get some water and I'll be right back."

"Very well," Iroh replied. As Katara stood and left the building, she could hear the older man speak to Zuko, "She's a very kind and beautiful girl. You should show her some more civility. She showed us compassion, the least you could do is be nice."

"She hates me, Uncle. There's no point in trying." Katara stopped walking away and pressed herself against the wall, deciding to eavesdrop a little longer.

"I don't think so, nephew. At least, she didn't seem to last night when she brought you food," Iroh said with a chuckle.

"You were awake?!"

"Yes, my nephew. But I didn't want to interrupt your little conversation. I think you have more in common with this girl than you realize. Perhaps you could make a good friend in her."

"She's our enemy, Uncle."

"She's only your enemy because you make her out to be. You no longer have anything to gain by capturing the Avatar, so she is no longer an obstacle to you."

Katara smiled at Iroh's words. _So they're not chasing Aang anymore. That is very reassuring._

"I know, Uncle… I'll try. Happy?"

"Joyful."

Katara decided to leave and get her water. She trotted to her campsite and grabbed her water skin. When she returned to the firebenders, they were sipping tea.

"Lightning is a pure form of firebending, without aggression," Iroh began. "It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind."

"I see," Zuko drawled out. "That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind."

Katara giggled and both of the men looked up at her, one with an expression of delight, the other spite.

"So you can actually control lightning?" she asked Iroh as she wrapped her hands with water and lowered it to his chest.

"Yes and no," Iroh stated calmly. "There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang. Positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance, and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning.

"Once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide." He smiled over to Zuko, who sipped his tea and nodded silently.

"That's incredible," Katara started. "I wish waterbending had something like that."

"That's where you're wrong, Miss Katara."

Katara looked at Iroh quizzically, then over to Zuko, who shrugged his shoulders. She looked back at the older man and squinted her eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Where there is life, there is water," he said cryptically, with an edge of darkness. Katara felt even more confused but brushed it off, continuing to focus on Iroh's wound. She glanced at Zuko from the corner of her eye. She noticed he was looking distantly at the ground, his face solid with thought. A dark look crossed his features for a moment but it smoothed out almost instantly.

After a minute or two, a head popped through the empty door.

"Hi guys!" Aang exclaimed. Iroh and Katara both greeted the airbender, Zuko nodded to him silently. Aang grinned at the group and then turned to Iroh, "How are you General Iroh?"

"I'm fine, thanks to Miss Katara," Iroh replied. "And please, just call me Iroh."

Aang bowed and looked over Iroh to Katara, "How much longer do you think you're going to be? We need to be moving on. That chick might come back."

"Azula won't come back for a while," Zuko said suddenly, making all eyes turn to him. "She was beat, so she'll cower and regroup. Then she'll look for you again later."

Aang stared at the prince for a few minutes, jutting his jaw out in thought. Zuko kept his eyes on the ground near his extended leg.

"So where are you guys going after this, Iroh?" Aang asked the retired general after tearing his eyes away from the prince.

"We're not sure," Iroh stroked his beard. "Zuko is going to be doing some training for the time being."

"Us too!" Aang grinned broadly, "Toph is going to start teaching me earthbending soon! That's actually where we will be going."

"Twinkle Toes!" Toph called from outside, "Get your butt over here and help us load Appa!"

"Alright!" he yelled back. "See ya!"

He darted back outside, leaving Katara with the firebenders again. Iroh was calmly drinking his tea, while Zuko was in a trance as he stared at the floor. Katara stood and dusted herself off. She stepped around Iroh but tripped on Zuko's boot, falling right on top of him.

He startled like a small bunny and stared wide eyed at the waterbender as she fell on his lap. His mouth was gaping as he stared at her, lost for words.

She blushed furiously and scrambled off of him, mumbling apologies as she stood up and brushed herself off again. Unbeknownst to her, Iroh was smirking deviously into his tea cup. Katara straightened up fully and avoided eye contact with Zuko, who was red in the face and looking down at the floor to his right.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Katara," Iroh decided to cut the silence. "I am truly in debt."

"It's nothing, sir," she bowed slightly. "I couldn't turn my back on you, despite our past differences. Perhaps we can leave this town as acquaintances instead of enemies."

"My dear, that has already happened," Iroh said lightly. Zuko looked up and locked his gold eyes with his uncle's, confusion and shock evident on his already blushing face. Iroh rose his eyebrows and then turned back to Katara, "Hopefully one day we will cross paths and become allies."

She bowed again and smiled as she stood, "That would be nice."

She turned to Zuko and smiled at him. He returned the gesture with a slight nod and then turned his head away bashfully.

"If destiny wills it, I would love crossing paths with you both again," she declared gently, keeping her eyes on Zuko. He slowly turned his head to her and locked eyes with her. She smiled and nodded to him.

"KATARA!" Sokka shouted from outside, "LET'S GO!"

"Hold on, Sokka!" she yelled back. She turned to the firebenders. "I guess this is goodbye."

"For now," Iroh replied genially. She grinned at him and then turned back to Zuko.

"Bye, Zuko."

His eyes widened as she turned and left, looking over her shoulder at him as she ran away and climbed up the bison.

"Did you make a new friend, Sugar Queen?" Toph asked as she picked through her toes.

Katara looked over the saddle down at the town and smiled, "I think so."

….

_A/N Woohoo!_

_The lines from the show in this chapter were from "The Chase" and "Bitter Work". _

_I love this story so far. Hopefully all of you will, as well!_


	3. A Change of Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the lines used in this story that were taken from the show.

**Chapter 3: A Change of Heart**

Perhaps it was a twist of fate or Katara's sense of curiosity got the best of her, but the waterbender somehow found herself in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. She roamed around some of the street vendors and happened upon a small tea shop. She walked in and a small bell ringed. Behind the counter, a jolly old man poked his head up and grinned widely at her entrance.

"Why, Miss Katara!"

She looked closely and saw Iroh. She smiled in return and approached the counter. He walked around and led her to a vacant booth.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. My nephew, Lee, should be out soon and he'll take your order," he bowed slightly.

"Lee?" she asked with a hint of humor in her voice.

Iroh nodded, "Yes, Lee and I are refugees in the city. We are so lucky to have been able to find jobs in this tea shop. You know me, I love tea."

Katara giggled and nodded understandingly at the general, "I'll wait for _Lee _and we can talk later."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he bowed and walked into the back room. Not two minutes later, an irritated looking Zuko appeared from behind the curtain, wearing an apron and holding a tray. He scowled at her and approached her table.

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

She propped her elbow on the table and cupped her chin, "I should be asking you the same thing, _Lee. _How'd you manage to get here? And working for that matter."

He fumed momentarily and then took a deep breath, "We're refugees. My Uncle Mushi should have told you."

"Mushi?" she giggled again at his expression. "I'm sorry. Well since you're taking my order, I'll have some green tea."

Zuko's eyebrow twitched and he growled through gritted teeth, "Is that all?"

"No," she tried to stifle another laugh. "How about when you're off, we go for a walk?"

"I can't," he replied stiffly. "I have a date."

"A date?!" now she was snickering loudly, causing the few customers in the store to stare. He was glaring furiously at her now, but she calmed down quickly. "Sorry, I'll probably be back down this way. Appa's been missing and we're hoping to find him."

"The bison?"

"Yeah…"

"How hard is it to find a ten ton six-legged animal in a city like this?" Zuko asked with a raised eyebrow. Katara shrugged her shoulders and he sighed. "I'll get your tea."

He turned and headed to the backroom and was gone for a few minutes. He reappeared with a full tray, one teapot and cup plus a plate with a small cookie. When he placed the tray on the table, she looked at him skeptically and he scoffed lightly.

"Uncle insisted we gave you a cookie," he said. "On the house. We 'owe' you."

"Right," she smirked and took the cookie off the plate. "Thank you… Lee."

He nodded slightly and turned around, attending to the other customers. Katara smiled to herself as she poured a cup of tea. She sipped slowly as she watched Zuko make his rounds of the shop, taking orders and cleaning the tables.

"Lee!" Iroh yelled from the kitchen. "You need to get ready for your date with Miss Jin!"

Zuko groaned quietly and sulked to the backroom. Iroh came out and approached Katara's table with a wide smile.

"Did you enjoy your tea?"

"Yes, Mr. Mushi," she bowed and smirked humorously. "It was delicious. I am actually going to get going. I'm sure my friends will be worrying about me."

"Of course, Miss Katara," he stepped aside as she stood and placed her coins on the table. "Thank you again for coming. We hope to see you again."

"Even Lee?" Katara smirked wryly.

Iroh matched her expression with an amused grin, "Especially Lee."

Katara giggled and turned to walk out, "Bye Mushi! Tell Lee I hope to see him again!"

"Of course!"

….

When Appa had been found about two weeks after Katara's trip to the tea shop, she felt now would be a good time to visit "Lee and Mushi" and see how they were doing. There was a lapse in time after Long Feng had been apprehended and the Council of Five would be meeting, so she decided to visit the refugees.

She arrived at the store and walked in, only to see a new waiter and tea maker. Confused, she approached the manager.

"Excuse me," she asked and the man turned around and smiled.

"Yes? Would you like some tea?" he perked up.

"No," she sighed. "I, uh, I'm actually looking for someone. Is Lee here?"

The manager scoffed, "No he's not. He and his Uncle Mushi are no longer working here."

Stunned, Katara rose her eyebrows, "What? Why?"

He shook his head and picked up a tray, "A man offered Mushi his own tea shop in the Upper Ring. They're in the process of moving up there now. If you're not going to buy any tea, I'd suggest you waste someone else's time."

Shocked, Katara turned around and began leaving, but whipped around quickly and addressed the manager again, "Do you know where they live?"

Without looking up, he answered, "The apartments behind this shop."

She nodded and left the shop and walked around the side of the building, spotting the run-down apartments. Unfortunately, she didn't know which one was theirs. She frowned and almost turned around to leave, but then heard a scream. She realized the voice belonged to Zuko and ran up the stairs to the apartment it came out of. She knocked loudly on the door and a ragged Iroh answered.

"Oh, Miss Katara," he rubbed his eyes. "What a surprise. What brings you to our apartment? In fact, how did you find it?"

"Your old boss told me you guys lived back here," Katara answered with a slight smile. "And then I heard Zuko yell. Is everything okay?"

Iroh shook his head and motioned for her to follow him inside. She closed the door quietly behind her and he turned around.

"My nephew has been experiencing a fever the past few days, I'm afraid."

"Oh no," Katara covered her mouth. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I am not sure," Iroh sighed. "It is not a natural sickness."

Katara rose her eyebrow, "How so?"

"He made a critical decision recently. It was in such conflict with his image of himself that he is now at war within his own mind and body."

"What does that mean?" Katara asked.

"He is going through a metamorphosis. When he comes out of it, he will be the beautiful prince he was always meant to be," Iroh replied with a soft smile. A coughing from behind the general startled Katara and she looked around him to see a weak Zuko laying on the floor. She frowned and walked over to him. When she kneeled he shivered and huddled into a ball.

"How long is he going to be like this?" she asked as she pushed the hair off of Zuko's forehead.

Iroh kneeled at his other side and shook his head, "I do not know. Until the conflict within himself is resolved, I'm afraid."

Katara nodded and the general and then stared down at the prince. She took out some of her bending water and gloved her hands then laid them gently on his forehead to bring the fever down. Zuko shivered and moaned slightly, but then relaxed to the touch.

"I experienced a similar sickness when I was younger," Iroh said suddenly. "But Prince Zuko's is much more intense. And he will always be at war within himself. It's his nature."

"What did he do to bring on this fever?" Katara looked up to Iroh.

He sighed, "He went down to Lake Laogai and freed the Avatar's bison, after originally going there with the intent to capture it. After fighting with himself, he decided to free the beast. When we got back, he blacked out and has been prone ever since."

"So Zuko was the one who got Appa out," Katara looked back down at the prince with a newfound understanding and respect and smiled softly.

"Yes, and that critical decision will change him forever."

Katara nodded but kept her eyes on Zuko, who had suddenly started stirring.

"M… mom…"

Iroh stilled and stared with wide eyes at him. Katara tilted her head in confusion and looked back at the general, who had a gloomy look on his face again. Zuko relaxed once more into a sporadic slumber, shivering and clenching his jaw in tension.

"Thank you for coming," Iroh finally broke the silence. "Though I am sorry he is like this during your visit, my dear."

Katara waved her hand and smiled, "It's nothing. Why don't you go relax and I'll keep an eye on him, okay?"

Iroh nodded and stood slowly, "Thank you very much, Miss Katara. He doesn't know it, but you are a good friend to him. Regardless of your past."

"I wouldn't exactly call us 'friends', General Iroh."

"Nonetheless, you treat him with much kindness," Iroh began walking away. "And that type of gesture can help change who he is."

The general closed the door to their bedroom behind him, leaving Katara alone with Zuko. She sighed and stared down at the incapacitated prince as he slept weakly.

"You know," she whispered to him, "I've always seen you as this strong and determined individual. You've always been so fierce and driven. And now as I'm watching you lay here, it makes you seem more human. More like me."

She pushed his hair off of his scar without touching it and sighed, "I wonder what you went through to get this. No one should have to endure something that looks that painful."

"It wasn't that bad…" he croaked. She jumped and he opened his eyes slightly, staring at her with a dazed look. "How long have you been here?"

She pulled some water out of the bowl on his other side and gloved her hands. As she ran it over his forehead, he relaxed and sighed. She responded quietly to his question, "About fifteen minutes. I was going to visit you guys at the tea shop but apparently you don't work there anymore."

Zuko coughed feebly and nodded, "Uncle will be opening a new one in the Upper Ring once I'm better. You should come visit…"

With another cough and shiver, Zuko closed his eyes and attempted to sleep again. Katara watched his muscles relax and his face fall from the pained look he had before.

"I'll make sure I do," she whispered.

"Good," he murmured back. "Because I like when you visit."

Katara smiled, "Is that so?"

"Mhm," he hummed with a dumb close-lipped smile on his face.

"Why?" she inquired softly.

"Because you're nice to me," he mumbled. "No one is ever nice to me…"

"Zuko, are you delirious?" she laughed breathily.

"Is delirious another word for 'honest'?" he opened his eyes slightly and looked right into hers. The gold was piercing. Even in his state, his eyes were completely aware, keeping her rooted in her spot. The sudden stare made her breath hitch in her throat. Never had she looked in those eyes and seen such raw intensity.

_You did once. But it wasn't real…_

She took a deep breath and drew the water away from his forehead, "You should rest, Zuko."

He closed his eyes and smirked, "I was resting fine until you got here."

"Alright fine," she whispered as she began to stand up. "I'll leave you alone then."

"No," he croaked as he reached out and grabbed her hand. His eyes were wide open and pleading as his thumb rubbed her inner wrist and he sighed, "Stay. Please."

Katara smiled gently and sat back down. He closed his eyes again and relaxed, not letting go of Katara's hand.

….

Today was the day Katara was visiting with the Council of Five to get the plans for the invasion. She had the task of relaying the message to the Earth King and get his approval on the orders. The meeting had gone well for the most part, aside from Momo knocking over some of the formations. General How was insistent that the plans were taken the Earth King as soon as possible.

But Katara found something that she would like to do before she went to the palace. There was a new tea shop on her way and a desire for some jasmine tea hit her.

"What do you say, Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?" She walked up the stairs and turned to one of the greeters, "Table for two, please."

Then, a familiar voice called from deeper within the shop, "Uncle! I need two jasmine, one green, and one leechi!"

Katara looked up and saw Zuko at the counter, and a cheerful Iroh in the kitchen, "I'm brewing as fast as I can!"

She smiled and followed the greeter to her table, keeping a close eye on her favorite firebenders. _Wait, favorite firebenders? When did that happen?_

She sat up straight when Zuko made his way to her. He didn't notice it was her at the table and he spoke to her with a professional tone.

"Hello, welcome to the Jasmine Dragon," he started, "What can I-"

He noticed her and sputtered for a second, then regained his composure quickly, "You really know how to find a man, don't you?"

"I'd say the same for you, considering you chased us from pole to pole quite recently," she replied with a smirk.

He blushed and jutted out his jaw slightly, but quickly grinned and took her menu, "I'm assuming a green tea?"

She shook her head, "No I'll take the house special."

He rose his eyebrow and shrugged, "Alright. I'll let Uncle know you're here. I'm sure he'd be glad to see you."

"And what about you?"

He blushed again and looked down to the floor, "I… Uh… I need to go take more orders."

He turned around quickly, leaving a snickering Katara. The Zuko she just spoke to was different than the one she had spoken to just a few weeks ago. He was different somehow, and she couldn't put her finger on it.

He returned about five minutes later with the tray of tea. On it was a pot, a cup and a plate with a pastry. Zuko smiled at her when he placed it on the table, "Uncle says you looked hungry. He wanted to say hi but we're a little busy."

"It's okay," she smiled back at him. He looked over towards the kitchen and then back to Katara. He dug in his apron pocket and handed her a note.

"Don't read it until you leave," he said with a slight twinkle in his eye. Katara gaped at him slightly and then nodded. He grinned and then went back to work. She finished her tea quickly, almost forgetting she had to get to the Earth King soon.

She left her payment on the table and left, not without waving goodbye to Zuko and Iroh, who both returned it enthusiastically. _That was different. Zuko himself is different. It's a nice change from the angry teen at the South Pole._

_He's starting to turn into the Zuko you saw in the Swamp._

_He's even wearing the same robes._

She stopped dead in her tracks and thought for a moment. Then she remembered his note and dug in her pocket. She unfolded it and smiled at the neat handwriting on the parchment.

"_Katara-_

_We close at sundown. I would like it if you would meet me outside the Jasmine Dragon and I'll take you up on that walk, if the offer still stands._

_Zuko."_

She smiled warmly at it and tucked it back in her pocket. She looked up at the sky and determined she still had another few hours before she would go back to the Jasmine Dragon. Plenty of time to get to the Earth King, get his approval and get the orders back to General How, with time to spare.

She giddily strode to the palace, reveling in the feeling she had. Everything was going right in the world. Aang was mastering the Avatar state, she knew where her dad was and Sokka was with him, Toph was making up with her mother, Sokka's invasion plan is being put into action. It was all fantastic. She thought about all of the good things as she climbed the grand staircase.

_Another good thing is that Zuko seems to be good now. He's not hell bent on chasing Aang, he has happily humbled himself to being a tea server. It's nice. And so good for him._

She was grinning ear to ear when she entered the throne room. At the base of the dais were three Kyoshi warriors, one she recognized by the head piece to be Suki.

"Suki!" she exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're here! Where's the Earth King? I have the invasion plans for him to approve."

She stood and stared at Katara and smirked. One she had recognized because she just saw it not an hour ago. Then she spoke, "Well I'm sure we can go ahead and take those plans to him if you don't mind."

That voice. Now that Katara looked closer, it was obvious that the woman standing in front of her wasn't Suki. And the girls behind her weren't Kyoshi warriors either.

Azula.

Then, before Katara could fully pull out any water, Ty Lee bounded over and jabbed her several times along her body, paralyzing the waterbender. Azula and the other girl walked over to the fallen Katara and stood over her.

"Hey Azula look at this!" Ty Lee exclaimed as she handed Azula something. _Oh no._

"Well," Azula smiled deviously, "it looks like Zuzu and Uncle are in the city."

Katara's vision began to swim with darkness.

"I think it's time for a family reunion…"

….

_**A/N **__I love this chapter. Softy Zuko is so cute… (I AM NEITHER CUTE NOR TINY!)_

_Sorry. Bending Battle. Look it up if you haven't seen it._

_I'm doing a poll. Should Zuko join Azula like in the canon or join Team Avatar, like everyone wished he did?_

_I'm writing both versions now, and whichever gets the most votes will be the one I pick. I'll take votes via review, private message, or checks written out to "CASH"._

_3_


	4. The Crossroads

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

**Chapter 4: The Crossroads**

Katara paced the prison for what seemed like days, but it could only have been a couple of hours. After Ty Lee had paralyzed her, a few Dai Li agents dragged her down to this hole beneath the palace. Other than being the place of her imprisonment, it was quite beautiful. There were glowing crystals jutting from the ground, emitting a soft glow around the cavern.

After her hundredth or so lap around the catacomb, a large grinding sound came from the top of the ramp in the wall. She looked up and saw two silhouettes.

"You've got company," the man said. She could tell by his voice that he was one of the Dai Li. He shoved the other person in, and he rolled down the ramp and landed in front of her.

The person sat up, revealing himself to be the scarred prince.

"Zuko!" she knelt down next to him and helped him stand. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and rubbed his shoulder, "How did you get in here?"

Katara sighed and turned away as she crossed her arms, "Azula and her friends disguised themselves as Kyoshi Warriors. When I said something about getting the King's approval for the invasion plan, Ty Lee ambushed me and brought me down."

He nodded and walked to the nearest crystal and sat down, "I don't know how they found me. We were supposed to serve tea to the king and she showed up instead with her Dai Li. Bitch can't fight her own battles. Has everyone do the dirty work for her and then she takes the credit."

Katara felt a pang of guilt, then she knelt next to him, "I'm sorry, Zuko."

"Why are you sorry?" he turned and looked at her. "It's not your fault my sister is a conniving and manipulative bitch."

"No," her shoulders slumped. "But it's my fault that she found you." He gave her a puzzled look and tilted his head slightly. "She found your note."

He took a deep breath and bowed his head, shaking it slightly. She reached over and put her hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged away immediately. She felt insulted pretty quickly and stood up, walking to the other edge of the cavern and crossing her arms.

"What's your problem?" she finally spit out at him. He glared and then turned his back to her. "Oh I get it. You're blaming me for all of this. Like it's my fault that you got captured, or that you've had to be on the run for the past couple of months. It's _my _fault you couldn't capture Aang."

He looked over his left shoulder silently then turned back away from her.

"You're a terrible person, you know that?" she shouted, disregarding everything she had been thinking about the past day. "Always following us! Hunting the Avatar! Trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood!"

He turned back around and glared at her angrily, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Now she was fuming, "I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through!" She sat down and began to cry, "Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

Zuko was quiet for a moment, but Katara could hear him turn around completely and face her, "I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."

She paused and felt slightly confused. _Isn't his mother the Fire Lady? What could have happened that her own country killed her?_

She turned slowly and faced him, tears still in her eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments, assessing each other.

"So the necklace is your mom's?" he finally asked, very gently.

She nodded as she touched the stone resting on her throat, "It's the only thing I have left of hers."

"I'm sorry I took it," he admitted, a blush tinting his cheeks. Katara smiled and shook her head. He saw that and got on his knees and started crawling towards her, "No really. I should have just given it to you after I found it instead of using it against you. It was wrong."

"You didn't know."

"That's right," he sighed and looked away dejectedly. "I've been in the wrong for a long time now."

She was silent for a long time, watching him kick himself over his past. His guilt was showing, and Katara was somewhat thankful that he had started to see the errors of his ways. After a while, she leaned towards him and then whispered, "What happened to _your_ mother, Zuko?"

He didn't answer immediately. His gaze was still on the floor, but Katara swore she could see tears gathering in his eyes. He sighed, and in a cracked voice, he whispered back, "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

He looked up at her and took a deep breath. Then stood and walked away. He stopped and then turned back to her, "I don't know. She just up and vanished the day my grandfather died and my father got crowned Fire Lord."

Katara stood and stared at him sympathetically. After another few moments of silence, she spoke gently, "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

He shrugged, "It doesn't matter."

"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face," she inwardly hit herself with that comment and flinched as she waited for a retaliation.

"My face? I see," Zuko looked hurt and turned away, touching his scar as he did.

_Crap. _"No, no, that's not what I mean," she approached him and frowned.

"It's okay," he said softly, without an edge or negative emotion. "I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

Katara paused and pondered for a moment, then remembered the trinket she had around her neck, "Maybe you could be free of it."

Stunned, Zuko turned around and stared at her with wide eyes, "What?"

"I have healing abilities," she replied with a smile.

Disappointed, he looked back down, "It's a scar. It can't be healed."

She pulled the vial out from under her shirt and held it up for him to see. She walked over to him and looked up into his eyes, "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but..."

Zuko stared at her for a moment, then closed his eyes in an invitation and Katara gingerly rested her fingers on his scarred cheek, her thumb brushing his lip. She felt his short and anxious breaths tickling her wrist and could tell his heart had begun to race. She ran her fingers along the edge and took a deep breath. Right when she removed her hand to open the vial, Zuko's eyes opened slowly and stared at her. She froze and locked her sapphire eyes with his gold ones. They were smoldering, emitting that raw intensity she saw when he was sick, and in her vision at the Swamp. She took a shuddering breath, but couldn't look away.

His breathing had become ragged as well, and he reached out with his left hand and grasped her right one, which had fallen to her side as they stared at each other. His eyes darted to her lips quickly and then back to her eyes, and she could feel him moving closer to her. She didn't stop it. She was closing the distance, as well.

Just when she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, a large bang and rumble came from her right. Both benders turned and saw Aang and Iroh come from the hole in the wall.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed, overjoyed that someone came to rescue them. For a second she forgot about the moment she was about to share with Zuko. But now that they were saved, they could always pick up where they left off once they got to safety. She smiled at Aang and pulled him into another hug, "Aang, I knew you would come."

She turned around and saw Zuko, who was staring crossly at the Avatar.

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" he spat as he pointed at Aang.

"Saving you, that's what," Aang retaliated. Zuko took one step in Aang's direction and growled, but Iroh stopped him and smiled at the teens.

He faced Zuko and patted him on the shoulder, "Zuko, it's time we talked." He turned back to Aang and Katara, "Go help you other friends. We'll catch up with you."

As Aang grasped Katara's hand to leave and walk away, she looked back at Zuko, who had a look of sorrow on his face, and walked up and out of the cavern. She followed Aang in the darkness as they ran up the slope. Zuko's expression was imprinted in her mind. She wished they could have had just one more minute. Then she would have kissed him and healed him. Then that look of sadness would never be there again. She felt incredibly guilty now that she built up his hope and left him high and dry. And there wasn't anything she could do about it now.

Aang led her into a large room with two small rivers running down the center joining at a waterfall and pillars of crystals everywhere. They jumped down and were running to the exit when Katara shouted to Aang, "We've got to find Sokka and Toph."

Then suddenly, a bolt of blue lightning attacked them from behind. Aang stopped it by rising a wall of earth. They then saw Azula, the source of the lightning. Katara used water from the nearby river to stop another lightning attack. Azula countered with a huge wall of fire, creating a cloud of steam that covered the surrounding area. The mist from the vaporized water hid Azula and she firebended two blasts of blue fire from her hidden spot. Together, Aang and Katara summoned a wave of water to stop the blasts. Azula landed on a rock pillar and peered down at the duo. Aang charged and used earthbending on the pillar, and Azula gasped as she noticed the pillar crumbling. She jumped off and landed between Katara and Aang, pointing at both of them, preparing to attack.

Then, another fire blast stopped her from attacking, and they look to see the source of the fire to be Zuko. He looked from Azula to Aang and Katara, pausing on the latter as he tried to decide who to attack.

Katara watched as Zuko switched his gaze from Azula to Aang. His eyes went to hers and he stared for a moment and nodded slightly with a smirk and a wink. He yelled out as he punched towards Azula, catching her off guard and causing her to jump back over the river. Aang, Katara and Zuko all aimed their attacks at the princess, who was quickly becoming overwhelmed. She jumped up and used her firebending to propel herself into the air, shooting quick blasts towards the group, mainly focusing on Zuko.

"You're making a mistake, brother!" she shouted down to him.

"I beg to differ!" he yelled back as he charged and set a large blast to the ceiling. She barely dodged, but the stalactites fell and knocked her to the ground. She bolted up quickly and cut Katara's approaching water whip into steam. The surrounding area was covered in a thick fog. Katara backed into Zuko and they stood back to back, waiting for Azula's attack.

"Aang!" she shouted.

"Katara don't yell for him," Zuko hissed over his shoulder. "She'll find us, or worse, she'll find Aang."

Katara nodded and continued to scan her surroundings. Suddenly, it felt like the hair on her body was standing up on end. The air felt charged and thick.

"WATCH OUT!" Zuko turned around and tackled Katara as a bolt of lightning danced towards them. She hit the floor with a grunt and she felt Zuko's weight completely on her.

"Zuko?" she pushed him off of her and he groaned out in pain. She sat up and gasped when she saw him. A part of his back was burnt from the lightning blast. She gripped his shoulder, "Zuko?!"

He groaned again and pressed his hands to the ground, pushing himself up, and growling through clenched teeth, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she gripped under his shoulder and helped pull him up. He nodded with a grimace and then proceeded to search through the thinning steam for his sister. Then they spotted the battle. Azula and Aang were trading blow for blow: Earth, wind, and water against fire.

Zuko shot a blast towards Azula and she easily dodged, sending a blast of her own his way. He broke it and formed the fire whips on his arms and proceeded to send them towards her. Katara joined in and started attacking the princess with her own water whips.

Azula had backed into a corner, much like they had done the first time they all battled together. Zuko had flames dancing on his fists and Aang had a boulder hovering, waiting to strike. Katara glared at the princess.

"Give up Azula," she shouted. "You're outmatched."

"And outnumbered," Aang added.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Avatar," Azula smirked. A loud crash from behind them distracted them all as dozens of Dai Li agents swarmed into the room. Azula blasted away and Aang chased her. Katara and Zuko were both cornered by twenty Dai Li in a matter of seconds. Katara could feel herself panic as the men sank into their stances.

"I'll take left if you take right?" Zuko whispered to her. She nodded and they both struck. She pulled water from the nearby river and surrounded herself with the octopus form, sending tentacles at the rock hands flying towards her and gripping agents and throwing them away. She had disposed of several agents before turning and checking on Zuko.

He wasn't having as good of luck. Alone, he had taken out about four agents, but had six continuously attacking from every angle. He was deflecting some, but he would get clipped by debris or hit in the stomach by a closed rock fist. Katara joined in and swept the remaining agents away into the river.

Zuko fell to the ground and was panting. She knelt down next to him and smiled, "You good?"

"Yeah-" he gasped and pushed her out of the way. She rolled over as she heard the sound of rock hitting a solid body and almost screamed when she saw a large boulder extending out from the ground and a still Zuko laying against the wall. She turned and saw a lone agent running towards her. Katara stood and formed several ice daggers, throwing them at the man. A couple grazed his clothes but he dodged the majority of them. She pulled the water from around her and shot an ice ball right at his chest. He didn't have time to react and he was pushed across the courtyard.

Another dozen agents surrounded her. She pulled up the octopus form again and backed up towards Zuko. Aang was still holding his own against Azula and several of the Dai Li, but Katara was still panicking. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Zuko. He still wasn't moving.

Suddenly a fire blast pushed the agents away from her and General Iroh jumped in front of her octopus form. He shot several blasts at the agents and pushed them away.

He turned around and yelled at Katara, "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"

She nodded as she bent down and wrapped Zuko's arm around her shoulder. His chest was near her ear and she could hear his heartbeat, but it was faint and beginning to falter. She twirled her arm around and rode a wave across the catacombs, knocking over several Dai Li and Azula. Aang joined her and went to Zuko's other side and they bent themselves up the nearby waterfall.

"Katara! We can't leave Iroh there!" Aang shouted when they reached the surface.

"He meant to do that, Aang!" Katara yelled back. "We need to get Zuko somewhere safe so I can heal him."

Aang nodded and suddenly they heard Appa groan. The beast landed next to them and Sokka jumped down from his head.

"What are you doing with the Angry Jerk?!" he shouted as he ran to them. "And where's Iroh?!"

Aang shook his head and pulled Zuko onto his back and jumped onto Appa as he shouted down to Sokka, "There's no time to explain. We need to get out of here."

Sokka turned to Katara and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, "Azula has taken Ba Sing Se. We need to go."

He slumped his shoulders and climbed up Appa's back, Katara closely behind. She crawled next to the prone Zuko and knelt at his side. The prince opened his eyes when she touched his arm and moaned in pain.

"'Tara…"

"Sshh… I'm going to heal you," she murmured. "Just stay calm."

He groaned weakly and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Katara, hurry," Toph said with a worried tone. "His heartbeat is slowing."

Katara nodded and took all of the water out of hers and his clothes, gloving her hands and placing them on his chest. He had several broken ribs and a lot of internal bleeding, not to mention the burn on his back where the lightning grazed him.

"Sokka, come over here and undo his shirt for me."

"Why?!" Sokka squeaked.

"I need a better view of his chest and back so I can heal him properly," she glared at her brother. "And I'm going to need more water. It's bad."

Aang overheard her and nodded. They sped over the city and as they flew over the outer wall, King Kuei whispered, "The Earth Kingdom has fallen…"

Solemnly, Katara frowned and tried not to cry. Her healing wasn't working as well as she would have hoped and Zuko's breathing had become shallower.

"Aang! We need to get to more water NOW!"

"We're about to get to Chameleon Bay! Have him hold on a little longer!"

She nodded and through tears, she looked down at Zuko and gripped his hand, "Come on, Zuko. Hold on. Don't give up. Please keep fighting."

….

_**A/N **__dun dun dun! Like this version of CoD? __After I finish the story, I will post the version with Zuko joining Azula, to please all the masses. _

_The first half of "Fire" is going to go by really quick. And some of the events in the show will happen out of order, and not like they did in the show. A quick heads up._

_Also, I'd like to say that this was one of my favorite chapters to write. For some reason, I love making Zuko get hurt while protecting Katara, as friends or as romantic interests. It just seems like something he would do. Also, he seems like the person to lash out if she got hurt._

_Anyway, there will be another poll in TWO chapters, so be prepared!_


	5. The Awakening

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or anything associated with it.

**Chapter 5: The Awakening**

She slowly made her way down the hallway as she balanced a tray on one arm and held a bucket of water in the other. Katara hated that Zuko got hurt because of her. He had already risked so much by joining her, now he was passed out from his injuries and she couldn't feel anymore guilty. When she reached his door, she set down the bucket and took a deep breath. Seeing him in the state of pain was hurtful on her heart. Bracing herself, she opened the latch and pushed the door open. But what she saw wasn't an unconscious Zuko, but a fully aware and sitting upright Zuko.

"Well look who's awake," she beamed. She walked over to him and set the tray down on the table next to his bed.

"How long was I out?" he croaked. She handed him a glass and he guzzled it down greedily.

"Only four days."

"And in four days, you guys managed to commandeer a Fire Nation battleship? Because last I checked, I didn't have any of these under my command," he frowned at her, but she kept her grin up.

"My dad and the rest of the Water Tribe forces already apprehended this once we got to Chameleon Bay," she said proudly. He smiled momentarily, but flinched at the injury in his chest.

"What happened?" Zuko asked. Katara looked at him and frowned.

….

"_Aang! We need to get to more water NOW!"_

"_We're about to get to Chameleon Bay! Have him hold on a little longer!"_

_She nodded and through tears, she looked down at Zuko and gripped his hand, "Come on, Zuko. Hold on. Don't give up. Please keep fighting."_

_Appa landed about a minute later with a grunt on the sand. Katara paid no heed to her surroundings as she lifted Zuko off of Appa's back with adrenaline-spiked strength. Sokka had removed his shirt so the Prince was just in his pants and boots when Katara laid him in the water. Bruises were already starting to blossom on his chest and some parts concaved in slightly, signaling broken ribs. His breathing had become incredibly shallow and raged. Katara even kept periodically checking his mouth to make sure he wasn't spitting up blood._

_Once in the water, Katara's healing hands took effect. She ran them over his torso, sensing his injuries through his chi paths. His left lung had been punctured and was slowly filling with blood._

_He coughed and the sound was sickening and wet. A trickle of blood came out of his mouth and pooled at the corner of his lips. Katara had to focus very hard to not cry at the sight. _

"_Okay, Zuko, I need you to be strong for me. I'm healing you now, but I don't know how well this is going to work."_

_He coughed again and more blood came into his mouth. He moaned and whispered hoarsely, "…My mouth tastes like blood…"_

_She couldn't help but laugh at his remark as more tears fell down her face, "Well, yeah Zuko that's what happens when you puncture a lung."_

_He coughed again and opened his right eye slightly, "It was worth it."_

_Katara smiled sadly and ran her hands over his ribs again. She felt the bones and he flinched. She hushed him and whispered comforting words to him._

"_This is going to hurt in a second. I have to reset your ribs before I work on your lung. Just be strong for me.."_

_He nodded and squeezed his eyes closed. Katara took a deep breath and used the water and her own hands to put the first of the broken ribs back in place. Zuko screamed out in pain and tears fell out of his good eye. She started sobbing and moved to the next rib._

"_Here comes another one."_

_Two more ribs later, he passed out. There were five broken in total, plus the punctured lung and the burn from the lightning. He was moved to a sleeping mat after his healing was done, blacked out from the pain._

….

"…Then we met up with my dad and the other men of my tribe. They had taken this ship about a day before we found them. Sokka recognized some of the men as we flew over."

Zuko nodded and took a bite of his food, "So what's the plan now? Azula took over Ba Sing Se."

Katara agreed and took a piece of his bread, earning herself a glare which she returned with a silly smile. After she took a bite and swallowed, she answered his questions, "We're going to do a smaller version of Sokka's invasion plan with a rag tag team of rebels."

He rose an eyebrow, "You're invading the Fire Nation?"

"Yeah," she stared at him intently. "There's going to be a solar eclipse in about two months. We've got all of the Southern Water Tribe warriors, plus some people we've met in our travels. Several Freedom Fighters and-"

"Wait, Freedom Fighters? As in Jet?"

Katara stiffened and stared at him, "How do you know Jet?"

He shrugged and took another drink of water, "Oh I met him on the way to the city. Then he accused me and Uncle of being firebenders and then got arrested. Hadn't seen him since."

Katara looked away and frowned, thinking about the dead boy. She shook her head and looked back up at Zuko with a forced smile, which he noticed and rose his eyebrow in concern. She waved him off and stood up to check his bandages.

"How are you feeling?"

He groaned when she pressed her fingers on his ribs, "I've been better. Just stiff, that's all."

Katara nodded and removed the bandages from his back and ran her fingers along the bruises and the lightning burn, "They're still a little purple, but the bones are set. The burn will just be a little bumpy. Nothing more. You should be able to train again in a couple of days."

"That's good," he flinched away from her touch when she prodded the area under the ribs.

"Tender?"

He chuckled, "No ticklish."

She smirked and poked it again, which caused him to whirl around and grasp her wrists and then he collapsed in pain.

"Take it easy, buster. You just survived death. I think you need to rest some more."

"How is everyone else? Did Aang get hurt?"

She shook her head and patted his hand, "Everyone is fine. You were the worst other than a burn I got. But Aang made it out okay. Toph and Sokka were spotless minus a scrape or two."

"And my uncle?"

Katara froze and stared at him with sympathetic eyes. Realization dawned on him and worry grew in his normally calm features. Zuko tried to stand but she pushed him back down. He grasped her hands and looked up to her with wide eyes.

"Where is he?"

She shook her head.

"Katara… Where. Is. He?" with each word he shook her hands, tightening his grip as well.

"He held off the Dai Li as we escaped with you," she whispered. He pulled away his hands and stared at her with hurt eyes. "He told us to. We had no choice."

"You should have gone back for him!"

"You would have died, Zuko!"

His expression turned to anger as he glared at her, "Well he might as well be now. Get out."

"What?"

He pointed at the door and shouted, "GET OUT!"

She stood with tears in her eyes and shuffled out of the room, making sure to slam the door behind her. Once the latch was closed, she leaned against the metal and slid to the floor, disregarding the bucket she had left out there for his healing. She felt the tears fall down her face and drip onto her tunic, but what made her even sadder was the sounds of his sobs behind the door.

….

"So what's the plan for us now?"

The five teenagers sat on Appa's saddle as they flew through the sky over the Fire Nation.

"My vote is we go get some new clothes so we don't have to cave hop everywhere," Toph said as she picked some gunk out of between her toes. "Where's the closest city, Sparky?"

Zuko looked at her with a disbelieving look and frowned, "…Sparky?"

She shrugged, "Like lightning."

"I can't produce lightning…"

"You will someday, right?"

"Maybe," he sighed. "My uncle says I need to deal with my inner turmoil before I can successfully produce any amount of electricity."

Katara noticed the sad look in his eye as he mentioned his Uncle, but he kept his head low enough for no one else to see.

"Well you and I can work on that together!" Aang said exuberantly. "When are we going to start training?"

"After we get new clothes and find a place to camp," Sokka said as he looked over a long piece of parchment. "We don't have much time to do that though. We'll have to be sneaky when we get the clothes and supplies and bolt out of town. We have to make it to the rendezvous point right before the eclipse in order for this all to work."

"It's not going to work."

All eyes went to Zuko, who remained stoic; arms crossed and chin resting against his chest.

"And why do you say that?" Sokka asked accusingly.

"Azula was in the palace with the king. The moron probably told her. Besides, the Fire Nation usually prepares for these kinds of things anyway. Unless Aang can get all the way through the volcano and find the Fire Lord's bunker in the time you've given him, it will be useless."

The other four remained silent, but stared at the prince with wide eyes.

"So… What do you suggest?" Toph asked.

Zuko took a deep breath and sat up, "I suggest Aang leaves at a different time than everyone else so he can get to the volcano and sneak in before the eclipse starts. I can give him a map of the bunker so he can find my father's secret chambers. Azula will most likely be waiting in one of the decoy throne rooms, so I can go in after we secure the city with someone else and we can take her down."

Sokka stared at Zuko, who just kept his eyes on the parchment rolled out on the saddle.

"That… just might work," the warrior said after a few minutes.

"And why didn't he join us sooner?" Toph asked with a huge grin.

"Because he was too stubborn," Katara replied teasingly as she shoved Zuko's shoulder. For a moment, he just stared at her with slightly hurt eyes, but then he grinned and shoved her back, resulting in her tackling him and pinning his wrists down. He smirked up at her and she stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Okay guys cut it out," Aang said with a little edge to his voice. Katara blushed as she pushed herself off of the prince and brushed off her dress. In the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko blush slightly as well and pick off an imaginary piece of lent from his tunic. Toph was smirking deviously at the waterbender, who glared back.

Zuko cleared his throat, "There's a town right there. We can get clothes and supplies and maybe a map."

The rest of the group murmured in agreement, but Katara turned and looked at the prince, who smiled and winked.

….

After purchasing clothes, and some makeup to cover Zuko's scar (much to his dislike and objection), the group made camp outside of the town. That night, they all laid on the grass and chatted amongst one another as they stared at the stars.

"You know, my old swords master lives in this town," Zuko said to Sokka.

The warrior sat up and looked down at him, "Really? You had a swords master?"

Zuko nodded and sat up as well, "I wasn't as skilled with firebending as Azula and I begged my mother to let me learn something other than firebending. Just so I could be better than her at something for once. I spent a lot of time at Master Piandao's castle. He's the best around."

Sokka thought for a moment and smiled slightly, "Any possibility you can introduce me? I'd love to learn how to use a sword."

Zuko shrugged and pulled out a handful of grass, "He doesn't just take in anyone. You have to prove your worth to him."

"How did you prove your worth, Zuko?"

The boys looked up at Katara, who had been listening the whole time. She noticed Zuko blushed slightly and Sokka rolled his eyes.

Zuko cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, I, uh told him that as one of the Princes of the Fire Nation, I needed to learn how to defend my country. And if I couldn't do that with firebending, I would do whatever it took to protect my people. At first, he didn't buy it. But then I told him I didn't know if I was worthy enough for his skills. My father would always tell me I was a waste and I believed him. When I told Piandao that, he agreed to train me. I think the old man just pitied me."

Katara scooted closer to the boys, leaving Toph and Aang at Appa's tail, talking about the Earth Rumble.

"I don't think he did, Zuko," she said softly. "He probably saw heart, and took you in because of it."

Zuko smiled slightly at her remark and then turned to Sokka, "If you want, we can go to his castle tomorrow. It's on the other side of the town but it's worth trying."

Sokka thought for a moment, stroking his chin in a very Iroh-like manner, causing Katara to giggle a little. He stared at his sister and then smiled, nodding towards the prince.

"Let's do it."

….

_**A/N **__yes, I know. I skipped the Painted Lady. BUT she will be making an appearance later in the story! As for the picture for this story, that's Zuko at his coronation, but there's a scar on his right cheek. That will be brought up in the next chapter. Don't ask. There's a method to my madness._

_I'll update when I can! My husband is coming home soon from his deployment so I'll try to hash out as many chapters as possible until then!_


	6. The Painted Lady

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or anything associated with it.

Seriously, why do I need to say so every chapter?

**Chapter 6: The Painted Lady**

Sokka and Zuko had left to go to Master Piandao's castle an hour ago, leaving Katara with Toph and Aang. They were currently all looking up at the sky, the temperature too hot for them to do anything. Toph had already picked her toes twice and Aang had already brushed Appa to help get rid of some of the extra fur the bison needed to shed.

"I'm going to go get some water from the river," Katara said after a long silence between the teens. Toph and Aang both grunted in response. The waterbender stood and grabbed a jar, carrying it with one arm down to the stream. After filling the jar a decent amount, she hauled it back to their campsite. Toph and Aang were in the same spots as before, staring up at the sky.

"I think I'll go into town and get some supplies," Katara said, hoping for a response. They both were quiet. "Okay, well I'll be back soon."

"See ya, Katara," Aang said as he waved his arm in the air. She pouted slightly and turned to go into town. The hike wasn't that bad, and once she got into town she was pleasantly surprised by the quaintness of the citizens. Nothing like what she thought Fire Nation people were like. They were just like people from the other nations, living life.

When Katara reached a fruit stall and began grabbing some mangoes and apples, she overheard an interesting conversation behind her.

"…The people are too sick. Unless some get better, we'll have to start putting some people out on the street. We don't have enough room."

"That's terrible," one man replied. "And we can't simply heal all of the injuries from the soldiers in time. They're taking up all of the space. Someone needs to get them fixed up as soon as possible."

"This would be a time to pray to the spirits. Heavens knows we need one of them to help us in this time of need…"

Katara felt incredibly saddened by what she was hearing. It pained her to know that even the people of the Fire Nation were suffering during the war, not just their enemies. Everyone was hurting. And she absolutely hated it.

After paying for their food, Katara made her way to another stall, just to see some random trinkets the town had to offer. As she passed one booth, a small statue caught her eye. It was a woman with red markings on her skin. Her face was covered by a thin veil hanging from a rice hat and she was clothed in heavy robes.

"That's the Painted Lady."

She looked up and saw the merchant in charge of the stand smiling at her as he polished a separate statue.

"Who is she?" she asked as she carefully traced her fingers along the brim of the hat.

"She's a river spirit," the man replied. "She protects some of the villages around here."

"But there are sick and injured in this town…"

The man sighed as he set down the statue, "Yes there are. She doesn't approve of the war so she has been refusing to help us. We all pray, hoping she'll come. Maybe tonight there will be a miracle."

"You seem very hopeful," Katara said with a sad smile. "Not a lot of people are nowadays."

He shook his head, "Hope is all we have in these dark times."

…..

That night, Katara couldn't sleep. She kept looking up at the full moon and thinking about what she overheard in the town. There were sick and injured. So many that their hospital was overflowing with patients and that they couldn't accept anymore. It was preposterous and ridiculous. In the nation that was all but winning this war, wouldn't there be better care for their people? But that wasn't the case. Even the people of the Fire Nation were suffering and Katara hated having to watch it happen.

She rolled over and stared at her sleeping companions. Zuko and Sokka had come back late in the evening, both spent from training with Master Piandao. They both fell asleep right after she served the stew for dinner, leaving Toph, Aang and Katara to their own devices again. The other two left Katara so Aang could train, so the majority of the night she was alone, pondering about the village.

And their belief in the Painted Lady.

She sat up and quietly padded around their campsite, grabbing her heavy cloak, Aang's rice hat, and some of her lip rouge. That night, she was going to masquerade in the town as the Painted Lady and heal the sick and wounded in the hospital. It was her duty to help these people, regardless of who they were.

After she finished painting her face, she placed the hat on her head, glanced back at the camp and glided quietly off into the night. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of golden eyes had watched her the entire time. And the owner was now crawling out of his sleeping bag and slipping on some black clothes and a mask. After brandishing his new dual swords, he slunk in the shadows as he trailed the girl into the village.

….

She spent about an hour healing the sick patients in the hospital ward, focusing on curing ailments enough where it wasn't completely healed but enough where they could leave. She left the last room in that wing and turned the corner to see a silhouette crouched in the window sill. She stopped and stared at the stranger, who remained still despite her discovery of him. Hesitantly, she took a step towards him. That instant, he jumped back and out into the night.

Curious, Katara ran to the end of the hall and looked out the window to find the man. The streets of the town were deserted. She huffed and turned around to head to the ward with the injured soldiers.

After she finished with them, she slipped out of the hospital and froze when she heard a voice.

"There was a break-in at the hospital! Check the streets for the thief!"

She panicked. She looked to her left and dashed down an abandoned alley, ducking behind a couple of crates. Unfortunately, her rice hat hit the edge of one of them and knocked it to the ground, causing a clatter. She grimaced as the noise echoed through the empty area.

"HEY! Down that alley!"

The clanking of metal steps grew louder as Katara cowered in her hiding spot. The steps stopped. She was spotted. The man started heading towards her and then bent down and grabbed her arm.

"Hey you! Its past curfew! Come wi-"

Suddenly, a black-clad figure jumped from the roof above her and attacked the soldier, causing the man to let go of Katara and falling to the ground. The ruckus caused more soldiers to head down the alley, cornering Katara and the strange man. She looked in the corner of her eye to see that he was masked. It was a full-faced mask, blue with white markings and white tusks. _The Blue Spirit._

They were surrounded by around twelve soldiers, six on either side of the alley. Katara took some of the water from the cobblestones beneath her feet and water whipped two of the soldiers, knocking them down and out. She felt the man behind her move and attack with a pair of duo Dao swords he was wielding. Katara turned back to her batch of soldiers and created several ice daggers, throwing them and pinning the rest of the men on the ground. She turned around to help this mystery man and gasped as several knives were thrown in her direction. The man had been hit in his face, knocking the mask off and making him fall to the ground. He was clutching his right cheek and blood seeped through his gloved fingers and dripped to the wet stones beneath their feet. Katara panicked again as the last soldier wielded more knives and aimed at the man on the ground. Suddenly, a dark thought entered her mind.

_Where there is life, there is water._

Iroh's words rang around her mind, making her act. She stretched her arms out and felt the water in front of her. She flexed her fingers and the soldier stopped moving. He struggled and stared wide eyed at her as she bent the water in his body: his blood. Disgusted with herself, Katara moved her arms around and sent the man to the side, slamming his body against the building wall, knocking him out.

The Blue Spirit was lying on the stone and unmoving when she finished off the last soldier. She knelt down next to him and rolled him over. Upon seeing his face, Katara gasped. It was Zuko. His right cheek was cut deeply and bleeding quickly.

"Zuko!"

He groaned and opened his eyes, then smirked, "You need to be more careful when sneaking out of camp."

"You followed me?!"

He nodded and sat up, "I wanted to make sure you weren't getting into trouble. It's a good thing I did, or you would have been done for."

She narrowed her eyes and gloved her hand with water, then reached to his cheek to heal it. But the sounds of more approaching soldiers stopped her in her tracks. Zuko scrambled up and grabbed his swords and mask.

"We've got to go!" He gripped her wrist and dragged her up. They jumped over the prone soldiers and darted out of the alley into the empty streets. They sprinted to the edge of town and ran into the open fields leading to their campsite. Zuko was slowing once they reached the hill that concealed them from the civilians. Katara slowed with him and they stopped. He bent over, bracing his arms on his knees and panting.

"What… the hell... Zuko?" Katara said in between pants. He looked up and locked eyes with her. She gasped when she took in his state: his skin was ashen, eyes unfocused. The cut on his cheek was still bleeding and it surprised her that he was still standing. She straightened up and approached him. He backed up and rose his hands defensively. She huffed, "Let me help you! You're hurt."

He shook his head, "We need to get back to camp."

"Zuko, that's a really deep cut! It's going to scar!"

He narrowed his eyes and his lips pressed into a hard line, "Not something I'm not used to."

She put her fists on her hips, "Well you're losing a lot of blood. I need to close it or you'll pass out."

He rolled his eyes and started walking slightly wobbly towards the camp. Katara jogged to catch up with him and grabbed his shoulder.

"Zuko! Seriously!"

He turned and glared at her, "Can't you just wait until we get to the camp?"

"Why are you insisting we wait? I don't want you more hurt than you already are!" she practically shouted.

He pressed a finger to her lips and leaned dangerously close to her face, "The soldiers are still looking for us. The farther we are from sight of the village, the less likely they will find us. We need to get back as soon as possible and then you can heal me."

Zuko stepped back and continued walking back to the camp. Katara followed with a scowl and crossed arms. It was going to take a least another ten minutes at their rate to reach the rest of their group.

"So you're the Blue Spirit?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

He turned his head slightly and nodded, "I was the one who rescued Aang from Zhao."

Stunned, Katara stopped walking. Zuko slowed and turned to face her, an annoyed look on his regal features. He rose his eyebrow as if to say '_What?'_

"I saw wanted posters all over the Earth Kingdom."

He smirked and turned to continue walking, "Yeah, I kind of resorted to stealing in order to live after Uncle and I were marked as fugitives. The last time I did any Blue Spirit activity was when I freed Appa from the Dai Li. I tossed the mask into the lake right after…"

"Then how did you get that one?" she motioned towards the mask in his hands.

He smirked again and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "I kind of took it from Piandao. He had it in a chest with the swords he had me practice with. I think he knew I would see it."

"Did he know?"

He rolled his eyes, "My Uncle probably told him at some point in time. Those old gas bags always kept in contact. Uncle always knew, but didn't reveal his knowledge until I was under the lake."

"What happened?"

Zuko smirked, "Well I _originally _was going to kidnap Appa so I could catch Aang… But Uncle made me change my mind. At that point, not even bringing Aang to my father was going to restore my birthright."

His solemn expression made Katara frown. She stared at him as the hiked along the hilly trail. "And after that was when you got sick."

He nodded and smiled slightly, "Freeing Appa actually helped me free myself from my father's expectations. I wasn't lying to you when I said that I finally realized I could determine my own destiny."

Katara smiled in return and faced forward. They continued their walk in companionable silence, occasionally Zuko would falter in his steps and run into her, causing her to insist on healing him, but he would reply saying they were almost there. Once they reached their campsite, he collapsed on his bedroll and groaned. Katara pulled out a stream of water and placed her hand on his cheek.

"This is going to scar," she chastised. "If you had let me heal it sooner, it wouldn't be as bad."

Without opening his eyes, he replied, "If I had let you heal it sooner, we would have been caught. I can live with another scar, Katara. It's no big deal."

Katara frowned as she cleaned up the last of the blood off his jaw and neck. The cut was now a long pink line stretching from an inch under his right eye and curving slightly down, ending right in the middle of jaw in between his chin and ear. The color was almost exactly the same as the one on his left cheek.

Sighing, she pulled her hands away and rested them in her lap. Zuko opened his eyes and looked up at her. "How bad is it?"

She shook her head, "Not horrible. Makes you look raged. Go to sleep, you lost a lot of blood."

He nodded and rolled onto his side, still keeping his eyes on her, "What are we going to tell them? About it?"

She shrugged, "We can say we sparred and I took it too far and couldn't heal it well enough."

He narrowed his eyes, "You know for a fact you wouldn't be able to land a hit like that on me."

She rolled her eyes and stood up, "You keep telling yourself that. Go to sleep."

He groaned and closed his eyes, "Yes ma'am."

Smirking, Katara walked away. She shed her cloak and cleaned the paint off of her skin. Once she reached her bedroll, she saw Zuko staring at her. She smiled and laid down, watching as he kept staring at her. After a few minutes of eye contact, he rolled away. With a sigh, Katara closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but not without the thoughts of what she had done to that man in the town.

She bent his blood.

With a shudder, Katara fell into a restless slumber.

….

_**A/N **__blood bending, Blue Spirit, Painted Lady, oh my!_

_Thanks to all for reading! Like I said, I'm trying to hash this all out as best as I can before the hubby gets home. I've got a little over a month to finish three stories. Wish me luck!_


	7. Into the Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own.

_Sorry about the wait. I had writer's block. It might show a bit in this chapter, so I apologize in advance._

_This chapter includes the invasion on the Day of Black Sun. If I skip any part, it's because I'm keeping it exactly like the show and I don't feel like cramping my hands up writing the entire thing over when you probably already know what happens. If you don't, I suggest going and watching the show. It's a lot better than anything I could write. Except the lack of Zutara. That's all. Enjoy _

**Chapter 7: Into the Fire**

They were the only ones awake, staring up at the clear Fire Nation sky. They had reached the rendezvous point with plenty of time to spare, now they were all relaxing. Zuko was pointing out constellations to Katara, telling her the folk lore behind them. Some she knew, and others she couldn't help but be amused as Zuko told them animatedly.

"…And the dragon soared into the sky, leaving the man to learn to control the fire he was given."

"That's an interesting story," she mused. He shifted slightly, brushing his shoulder against hers. She heard him chuckle faintly and move his right arm so it was propped underneath his head. The heat from his body was radiating through his tunic, warming her bare shoulders. The sudden heat made her shiver.

He turned his head to her and propped himself up onto his left forearm, looking down to her, "Are you cold?"

She shook her head and stared at him, for some reason keeping her eyes on his scar, "No just got a random chill. Nothing big."

He looked at her disbelievingly and nodded his head once. He frowned and whispered, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

She blinked, "I was staring?"

He frown deepened, "At my scar."

She blushed and looked away, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said as he laid back down. "I'm used to it."

Katara waited for him to speak again, but he just looked back at the sky. She wanted to have the courage to ask him where he got it, but she felt that it was such a touchy subject. She didn't want him to snap at her, especially since their friendship was so fragile. He was getting along with everyone swimmingly, especially Toph. They were like brother and sister. And when he was around Sokka, she felt her brother could finally let go and be all manly like he wanted to act. Aang was too young for some of the things Sokka wanted to talk about. Zuko was perfect for that. And he was getting along well with Aang, too, considering how they met. Aang was easily forgiving, and Katara was thankful. If Zuko hadn't joined them under Ba Sing Se, she would be certain that he ever came to them wanting to join, they would all shut him out. It was good he found the good in his heart to help defeat his sister, even if it cost him his throne and almost his life.

"Do you want to know how I got it?" his hoarse whisper broke Katara out of her thoughts. She turned her head and looked at him, noticing he hadn't moved his gaze from the sky.

"If you want to," she murmured back. "Unless you want me to know, I won't press."

He nodded and took a deep breath, "My father did this."

Katara sat up in shock and looked down at him. His face was surprisingly blank and unexpressive, like he was purposely trying not to show how he was really feeling. He didn't move his eyes from the sky as he continued to tell her the story.

"I spoke out during a war meeting because a general wanted to sacrifice a whole platoon of new soldiers. Ozai said that it was an act of utmost disrespect, so he ordered me to fight an Agni Kai."

"What's that?"

"It's a fire duel," his eyes flickered to hers. They were empty and almost cold. The gold color hard. "I thought he meant with the general so I accepted. But when the duel started, I saw it was my father instead. So I tried to forfeit. Because I disobeyed him, he burned and banished me."

Katara reached over and grabbed the hand he had draped across his stomach. With a squeeze, she whispered almost inaudibly, "How old were you?"

"Aang's age."

….

The stage was set. The invasion forces were ready to infiltrate the Fire Nation. They were already in the water, almost at the Gates of Azulon. Zuko was fidgeting nervously next to Katara and she just wanted to smack him in the shoulder to make him stop. Obviously no one else noticed, because they didn't say a word to him about it. That, or they didn't trust him. Some of the Earth Kingdom forces openly voiced their dislike for him, but he took it with a grain of salt and brushed it off like it was nothing. But Katara could tell it actually bothered him, based on how his shoulders tensed when a man suddenly called him out and said he was going to betray them all.

She told him to ignore them, and he acted like he understood. But she could tell he didn't entirely disregard their comments. He knew he was a traitor to his own people, and these men had no reason to trust him. Haru even pulled Katara aside and warned her that if he could easily betray his own country, then he could just as easily betray them and she needed to keep her guard up. She nodded and shooed him away so she could more properly prepare for the upcoming battle. Without the distractions of mistrust.

Now the boats were stopping as an alarm from the gates rang through the air. Suddenly, a large net rose from the water and caught on fire, blocking their way in. Katara's father, Hakoda, shouted something about going under the decks and she followed Sokka as he headed down the stairs. They entered another small chamber and then climbed down a latter into a new space that Katara didn't remember to be a part of the boats.

"Katara," Sokka started, "I'm going to need you and the other Swamp Benders to start moving this thing."

She nodded and exchanged a glance with Zuko before stepping in line Due and Tho and going through the stances, pushing this new vessel through the water. Through the windows, Katara could see other contraptions like the one they were in floating through the water.

After a while, they resurfaced. Katara climbed out and she met with Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Zuko on the top of their submarine.

"So this is it," Aang said. They all looked at each other and then embraced in a group hug, minus Zuko. He just stared at them awkwardly and then Katara looked over Toph's head at him and smiled.

"Come on, Zuko," she said with a little mirth. "If you're a part of the group, you join in on the group hugs."

"Uhh-"

Sokka grabbed the firebender's arm and pulled him into the huddle, wrapping his and Toph's arms around Zuko's shoulders. They hugged in silence and then pulled away, Toph stifling a sniff and then heading back into the ship with Sokka guiding her. Zuko shook Aang's hang and then followed Sokka and Toph's lead.

Aang turned and looked at Katara then smiled, "Everything is going to change now, isn't it?"

Katara looked over the airbender's shoulder to see Zuko's head going under the deck and she sighed. When she looked back at Aang, she smiled and nodded. Aang looked away awkwardly and then leapt towards her, kissing her on her lips gently. Katara felt her cheeks warming oddly as he pulled away and then watched as he popped open his new glider and soared away.

"Katara?"

She turned back around and saw Zuko staring at her with a confused look. He cleared his throat and jerked his head towards Appa, who was waiting patiently in the water. She nodded and waterbended herself over to his head, then bent an air bubble over his head and they dove under water along with the rest of the submarines.

….

So far, the invasion plan was pretty successful. They had made it through the guard towers on the coast and were making good headway to the hills up the volcano that led to the Capital city. Katara was consulting with Hakoda when Zuko walked to her and gripped her shoulder. She looked up and saw the stern look on his face and nodded, knowing it was time.

"Dad," she looked back to Hakoda and he lifted his gaze from the map to her and Zuko. He nodded in understanding and hugged her. When he broke away, he turned to Zuko and held out his arm. Zuko gripped his forearm and kept his expression stoic.

"Take care of her," Hakoda ordered.

Zuko nodded, "Of course, sir."

The two benders ran to Appa and jumped onto his head. Zuko grabbed the reins and they began flying towards the far side of the volcano.

"Where exactly is this secret entrance?" Katara shouted over the winds.

"There's a cave that has an entrance that leads to the tunnels. From there, we can find the metal bunker pretty easily," Zuko called back. "The tunnels originally are for escaping, but can just as easily be used as an entrance."

He turned to her and a mischievous grin spread on his face, "Especially for someone who knows his way around."

Katara smiled back and then faced forward. Appa soared unharmed to the far side of the volcano. Zuko landed him near an almost invisible cave, then hopped down and held out a hand for Katara. She gripped his arm and slid down.

"Alright Appa," she cooed to the bison. "Stay safe. We'll be back."

The two benders nodded at each other and Zuko led Katara into the cave. The ceiling was low and it was dank and dark. He held up his hand and a small flame rested in his palm. They walked to the back of the grotto, which was about fifty feet from the entrance. He stopped suddenly and held his free hand to a random indentation on the wall and grunted. A sudden blaze came out of several other holes and then a piece of rock slid back, revealing a doorway. Zuko quickly walked through the entrance, followed closely by Katara. They made their way through the tunnels, which were barely lit by Zuko's tiny flame.

"The bunker and tunnels were put in here a couple hundred years ago during a civil war," Zuko spoke lowly. "The royal family wanted to stay safe in case rebels were to infiltrate the castle. They haven't really been used since then, other than when there's eclipses and sudden attacks on the city."

"Like today?" Katara replied with a smirk.

Zuko turned his head towards her and grinned back, "Precisely."

After about ten minutes of brisk walking, Zuko stopped at another dead end. He punched another ball of flame in a small hole and another doorway appeared, but instead of being just a gateway, there was a metal door. Zuko jiggled the handle and then melted the metal away.

He turned to her and smirked at her confused expression, "It was locked."

Katara groaned and followed him into the well-lit bunker. There were torches along the stone walls, where there were metal beams holding up the steel ceilings. There weren't any guards or people in the halls, just Zuko and Katara. They exchanged looks and then he pressed forward.

Looking back and forth, Zuko finally spoke after a few minutes of walking "How long until the eclipse starts?"

Katara stopped and dug out a contraption from her pocket, one that the Mechanist gave her to keep track of when the eclipse would start. She paled as she saw the time and then snapped her head back up and stared with wide eyes at Zuko.

"Five minutes."

….

_**A/N **__thanks for reading!_

_**Poll time! **__Sukka or Tokka? If you pick Sukka that will not necessarily mean Taang will happen. Choose wisely._


	8. The Eclipse

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, Jesse McCartney would have played Zuko in the movie, and Zutara would have happened.

**Chapter 8: The Eclipse**

"Alright, there should be another hallway… Right here!"

Zuko grabbed Katara's wrist and dragged her to a small hallway on their left. He was practically sprinting and she was trying her hardest to keep up. They rounded another corner and found a large set of double doors.

"Are you sure she's in there?" Katara asked.

Zuko nodded and took a deep breath, "My father likes to have a lot of decoys, including this. He has several rooms throughout the bunker that look like they would be his hiding spot, but if they did know about the invasion, he'll be in the cellar room I told Aang about."

Katara looked up at him and noticed his odd expression. It was a mix of apprehension and determination.

"Are you scared?"

He sighed and turned to her, "Yes and no. I don't want to have to face Azula like this, but it's the only way. If Aang defeats the Fire Lord and I defeat Azula, I can end the war."

"And if you don't?"

"We die."

They shared a long glance at each other, memorizing each other's faces and preparing for the unknown beyond that door. Zuko looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. No fire. The eclipse had started. He scowled and fisted his hand at his side, then looked back at Katara, confirming her suspicion.

"Zuko?"

"Yes?"

She took a deep breath, reached to him and grasped his hand, "Good luck."

With a genuine and sad smile, he squeezed her hand back. Then he turned back to the door and took another deep breath. Then, with all his might, he kicked the door down, letting it fly open and reveal the hiding room. There were large pillars along the sides of the rooms reaching the high ceiling, three were collapsed. On the far end of the room was a single throne, and perched on the seat was a lounging Azula.

"Well, Zuzu I'm not entirely surprised to find you here. Did you tell the Avatar where Father would be?"

Zuko and Katara ran into the room, stopping in the center. The Prince stared down his sister and growled, "Stop stalling, Azula, and fight me!"

She looked up from her perch on the throne and smirked, "Why? We both don't have firebending right now. You have your swords and the waterbender. I'm at an unfair advantage, brother."

"Don't like when the tables have turned on you, huh Azula?" Zuko sneered. Katara was shocked with his bitter attitude towards her. She kept darting her gaze between the siblings; one demanding, the other aloof.

"Zuzu, I don't really think that's the case."

That second, two Dai Li agents fell from the ceiling, facing Katara and Zuko with their fists up.

"Zuko, what should we do?" she whispered over to him.

Zuko leaned his head towards her slightly, "Think you could hold both of them off while I went for her?"

"No problem," she replied with a smirk. She uncorked one of her water skins and sent a whip towards the agent on her right, distracting them enough to let Zuko dash past them. She watched from the corner of her eye as he chased his sister around the room. Keeping up with the Dai Li agents was easy enough, just using simple whips to break their rock fists in half and send small attacks to trip them up and keep them from defending Azula. Katara knew it was about time to incapacitate one of them, so she sent a torrent of water from her skins to freeze one of the agents against a metal pole. She turned to the other agent and looked over his shoulder to see Zuko and Azula exchanging punches. With a quick flick of her wrist, Katara took some water from her second skin and the ground and pushed the water at the Dai Li agent, sending him to the same pole the first man was frozen to. She froze the man on top of his comrade.

Turning to the siblings, she ran to help Zuko out.

"I like that new scar, Zuzu," Azula taunted. "How'd you get _that _one? Failing with your little swords?"

"Shut up and fight me, Azula!" he growled. Katara stood back as they kept parrying each other's jabs and kicks.

Azula backed away and stared at a panting Zuko with a wide smirk, "Did the Avatar go to fight Father? Because I can guarantee there's a trap waiting for him. He won't live once the eclipse ends. You sent him to his death."

Katara froze and stared at the princess with wide eyes. Zuko remained calm, however. He straightened up and cracked his neck.

"You're going to have to come up with something better than that,_ Zuli_," he replied, practically spitting out the odd name. Katara wondered what that really meant, but she realized it was best to question him when they got out. If they got out.

Zuko continued his taunting with a sly grin, "You and I both know that Father is hiding out in his solo bunker on the opposite side of the volcano. Not even the Imperial Firebenders know where it is. Only Father, you, me and now the Avatar know how to get there."

Azula scowled for a moment and then flickered her eyes to Katara.

"I see you brought your girlfriend. I don't think that was very wise of you, Zuzu. She could get hurt and it would be all your fault."

"She's a master waterbender. I think she can take care of herself," Zuko responded casually. Katara smirked at his confidence in her and lowered herself into a fighting stance. "She took out your Dai Li agents pretty quick. You should be scared."

Azula shrugged, "They were weak. I was going to get rid of them once I become Fire Lord anyway. Like I'm about to get rid of you!"

Katara saw Zuko tense and whip his arms up to block the sudden fire blast Azula shot out. _Dammit the eclipse is over!_

Zuko rolled to the side and began sending fireballs towards his sister, who deflected them easily. She ran around the large stone room, dodging Zuko's fire blasts and sending some of her own towards Katara.

"Zuko we need to get out of here!" Katara shouted to him as she deflected another fireball with the last of her water.

"No! I need to defeat her now!"

"What if Aang didn't get to your father? We have to go and regroup!" she rolled out of the way and ducked behind a pillar.

"You should listen to your girlfriend, Zuzu, You have no chance beating me!"

"Try me."

The sound of electricity charging filled Katara's ears. She rounded the pillar and watched as Azula shot a blast of lightning towards Zuko.

"NOO!"

Before Katara could jump out from behind the pillar, Zuko caught the lightning with one hand and guided the current down his body then back up his opposite arm, then shot the blast back to Azula, who was now on top of one of the fallen pillars. The shock hit the ceiling and it collapsed, burying the siblings in rubble.

"ZUKO!"

…..

The dust had settled for a while before Katara had even bothered to move. She didn't dare look around the pillar she used as a hiding spot to see the damage. She knew they were dead. No one could survive a roof collapsing on them. Not even Zuko, the guy who never gives up. There was a ruckus of sorts somewhere above them, probably the soldiers from the invasion fighting off the Fire Nation forces, most likely being forced back to the bay without her. She didn't even know if Aang survived, let alone find the Fire Lord in time. All she knew is that she was stuck in this decoy throne room with two frozen Dai Li agents and two most likely dead royal siblings.

The latter made her cry.

Katara felt the tears cut through the dirt that had caked on her face, but she didn't wipe them away. She felt too numb. That idiot did this to himself. He just _had _to shoot the lightning back at Azula while she was near the ceiling. Zuko was truly a moron.

A dead moron.

A shiver went down her spine. A few more minutes passed and not even the sound of settling rocks went through the room. Slowly, Katara stood and stepped around her pillar to assess the damage. The hole in the ceiling where Zuko rebounded the lightning was larger than she expected, and the entire floor was covered with fallen rocks. Some were small, but some were the size of her entire body. Katara spotted the Dai Li agents in the corner still struggling with their bonds, not noticing her either. She began looking around the floor, trying to remember where Zuko had been when he redirected the lightning.

Suddenly, there was a shifting in the rocks. Katara panicked and darted over to the movement. She pulled the smaller rocks away and revealed a boot. She couldn't tell whose it was on account of the color scheme and the accumulation of dirt on the shoe, but right now she didn't care. Even if it was Azula and she was her enemy, she couldn't let the girl die. As Katara moved more rocks out of the way, one of the Dai Li shouted at her.

"Hey! We can help!"

She looked up and glared at them, "How do I know that you aren't trying to trick me?"

"You don't," the other replied. "But neither of them deserve this."

She stared at them for a moment and shook her head, "I can't trust you."

As she pulled more rocks away and ignored the protests of the agents in ice, she finally pulled a large rock off of the body. It was Azula. Her face was bruised and her hair fell out of her topknot. The princess was unconscious but breathing. Katara thought for a moment, debating whether or not to leave her there and finish looking for Zuko.

_I will never turn my back on people who need me._

She sighed and removed the rest of the rocks from Azula's arms and torso, completely freeing the girl. Katara leaned back and began to stand when Azula opened her eyes.

"Where's…. Zuko?" the princess groaned.

Katara kneeled back down and looked in her eyes. Genuine concern was in the golden orbs. She sighed and shook her head, "I don't know. I found you first."

Azula coughed, "Find… him…"

Katara was shocked, and she narrowed her eyes and scowled at the princess, "Why do you care?"

Azula smirked, "He's… my brother… And it's…. _my _job… to kill him."

Katara stood up and stared down at the princess, who coughed again and closed her eyes. The waterbender looked over to the Dai Li agents and with a flick of her wrist, released them. They both fell to the ground on top of one another. When they stood, Katara stared them down with harsh eyes.

"You're going to help me find Prince Zuko. And after we do, you are to take Princess Azula to the infirmary. If you attack us, I will end you. Understand?"

Both men nodded and proceeded to remove the rocks from the floor and push them to the walls. Katara lifted Azula and dragged her to a cleared area. The princess had blacked out again, and Katara could see the extent of the damage: her arm and ribs were broken and her ankle was twisted in an odd angle, probably from the long fall. Her face was bruised and her lip had been split. For some reason, it reminded Katara of how Zuko looked after they left Ba Sing Se.

"Waterbender!"

Katara turned and saw one of the agents standing next to Zuko's now uncovered body. She left Azula's side immediately and sprinted over to them. She stared at the agents and they both glided away to the princess's side. They grabbed her and earthbended themselves out of the room, leaving Katara alone with Zuko.

She bent down and checked his pulse. It was still there and strong. She checked his body for injury, only finding that the same ribs as before had broken and he had a serious cut on the back of his head. She pulled his arm over her shoulder and lifted them up.

Shouting from the hallway made her panic, so she pulled herself and the unconscious prince behind one of the pillars.

"Where are they?!"

Aang!

Katara set Zuko against the stone and moved out from behind the pillar. She saw the airbender run by and she shouted, "Aang!"

The airbender passed the room and then came back, spotting her and racing to her side. He pulled her into a hug and grasped her wrist, "Come on let's go!"

"Wait! I need to grab Zuko!"

Aang looked over her shoulder and gasped upon seeing Zuko. He raced around and helped her lift the prince up. Together, they ran out of the room and down the halls, in an entirely different direction that Katara and Zuko had come from. They climbed a set of stairs and the shouts from soldiers were filling their ears as they reached a hidden door that obviously led to the palace.

"Aang, did you defeat the Fire Lord?"

Aang didn't answer as he pushed the slab out of the way.

"Aang, seriously."

He shook his head and sighed, "I couldn't find him. He wasn't in the secret bunker that Zuko showed me. Or any of the other bunkers. It's like he's not even here."

"What do you mean? Did he flee the city?"

Aang led Katara and the unconscious Zuko through the abandoned halls of the palace. They turned a corner and couldn't find their way out. There was the sound of fighting and Aang held Katara back, then turned and faced her.

"You need to get Zuko somewhere safe and heal him," he said, then looked over his shoulder and took a deep breath. "He needs to be alive. He's the last hope for the Fire Nation. I have to find Ozai."

Katara nodded and Aang leaned in and kissed her cheek. She felt a blush creep up again and she swallowed thickly as the airbender sped around the corner towards the fighting. She heard shouting and scuffling of feet. She glanced around and saw a long hallway that ended with a door. Katara readjusted the unconscious prince on her back and ran as fast as she could towards the door. Once she reached it, she turned the handle and fell inside. It was dark. Not even a torch was lit. So she just set Zuko down on the floor and propped him against the wall and closed the door, leaving them in total darkness.

Katara tried to feel any type of water in the room but it was completely dry in there. For all she knew, they could be in an empty closet of some sort. But she could tell it was much larger than just a closet.

A weak coughing next to her made her jump.

"Where are we?"

She felt around and grabbed Zuko's hand, "I'm not sure. Can you make a flame for me?"

He coughed again and lifted the hand she had just grabbed and let go, then produced a small flame. The light flickered and they both adjusted their eyes to the sight. It was a bedroom of some sort. The bed was covered with a tarp, probably to protect it from the layer of dust that was all around the room. Zuko shot a flame to a torch in the left corner than Katara hadn't noticed. She looked at him and he had a stern expression on his face; his lips in a tight line and his eyes hallow.

"Zuko, where are we?"

He took a deep breath and shook his head, "It's my old room."

Katara opened her mouth to a small 'o' and then frowned. She looked around and took in their surroundings. The bed was in the center of the room and there were small tables on both sides of the mattress. There were two door on the right wall, probably to a closet and a washroom.

"Is that a washroom?" she pointed to the right wall.

He nodded once, "The one on the left."

She stood and ran to the door, swinging it open and using the low light from the main room to find a basin. Once she found a bowl, she turned on the tap and filled the bowl with the water. Then she made her way back to Zuko, who was still lying against the wall and staring blankly at his room. Katara kneeled next to him and gloved her hands. She made slow work of the wound on his scalp, trying not to jolt him.

"This is the first time I've been in here since I was banished."

"Well it's nice they kept it the way you like it," Katara remarked dryly. He turned and glared at her, but she just smirked and moved her hand away. "Sorry, just trying to make you smile."

The corners of Zuko's lips twitched as she pulled her lips into a goofier smile. His eyes suddenly turned serious and she felt her face down-turn in confusion.

"Where's Azula?"

Katara dropped her hands from his ribs and rested them in her lap, "The Dai Li agents took her to the infirmary. By my command."

His brows furrowed, "Why would you do that?"

She shrugged and pulled the water back up and brought them to his side. He flinched before she spoke again, "I found her first and she asked me if you were okay. And I don't ever turn my back on people who need me."

He scoffed darkly and then groaned out when she reset a second rib, "Well that sounds like you. OW! Can you please be a little more gentle?!"

Katara smirked and shook her head, "Not with that attitude, Prince Zuko. Now be a good boy and sit still. These are just rebreaks, so they're going to hurt more."

Zuko groaned and leaned back against the wall as she finished resetting his ribs. When she pulled her hands away, they sat in tense silence. The sounds of the battle were still sounding outside. Every once in a while, the two benders would flinch at an explosion or when the shouts grew closer.

"Shouldn't we go out there?" Zuko whispered after about ten minutes of silence on both ends of the door.

Katara shook her head and rested her hand on his forearm, "Aang told me to keep you safe. If Ozai is defeated and you're alive, you will be crowned Fire Lord."

"No, I won't. Azula will."

"You defeated her in the bunker," she reasoned. "You're next in line."

"That doesn't make any sense," he said flatly. He stood and brushed the dirt and dust off of his outfit and went to his closet. He opened the door and lit a second torch inside. After a few minutes, he emerged with a different shirt on, one that was slightly tighter than the one he wore before, but the same blood red color and gold stitching. He was clutching another bundle of fabric and he tossed it to her.

"Your outfit is a little torn… in places," he coughed out. Katara looked down and realized he was right. Her robe was torn right across her chest and so were her wrappings. She didn't know how that happened, but her tan skin was poking through the fabric, dangerously close to an inappropriate spot.

Katara blushed furiously and covered herself with the shirt, "Sorry…"

He cleared his throat and turned around, "It's alright. I just don't want you prancing around my palace with your breasts hanging out."

"Such smooth words, Zuko."

She stood and untied the sash around her robe and pulled the torn garment off. As she shifted her arms, her wrappings fell off, broken in several places. She groaned and Zuko whirled around like something was wrong, but his eyes went wide when he saw her. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned back around.

"I'm sorry!" he choked out.

Katara began giggling as she pulled his shirt over her head, "It's okay, Zuko. That was my fault."

"Are you decent now?"

"Yes," Katara laughed again. Zuko turned around and his face was a bright red, only making Katara laugh harder. His face contorted into a scowl and she fell to the dusty floor in a fit of giggles.

"Stop that," he growled.

"I can't!" she squeaked out as tears fell from her eyes.

"You should be more serious in this situation!" he shouted as he walked up to her and kneeled next to her shaking body. "Katara!"

She opened her eyes and her laughter slowed once she saw his serious expression. She swallowed and grinned cheekily up at the prince.

"Sorry…"

Zuko rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a standing position. He began dusting her off, brushing his rough hands against her stomach and legs. Then he accidentally brushed her butt and she jumped and squeaked out.

"Sorry," he mumbled as another blush blossomed on his cheeks.

Katara giggled again as he straightened up and kept his gaze averted. She grasped his chin and pulled his face forward so they were looking each other in the eyes. Smiling, she said, "It's okay. Stop apologizing about everything."

He kept quiet and the blush remained on his cheeks, and he swallowed thickly as Katara kept their eyes locked. Her hand slowly let go of his chin, but he remained slightly bent over and staring right at her. The memory of the catacombs under Ba Sing Se rushed to her mind, making her heart race and her body warm. Slowly, she moved her face closer to his. She noticed he was moving in as well. His eyes fluttered closed and she decided to follow his example and close hers as well.

His lips pressed against hers softly, barely brushing against her. As he began to bring himself closer, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her body against his. Their lips moved together as his hands roamed around her back and waist. Katara pulled him down and tangled her hands in his hair.

A sudden and very close explosion made them jump apart and stare at the door. Shouts came from the hallway and Zuko quickly pounced to the door. He opened it slightly and exhaled with relief. He looked at Katara and swung the door open, revealing Sokka and Hakoda going over a map.

"Dad!"

Hakoda looked up and smiled at her, "Hello, Katara. What are you doing in there with Zuko?"

Both benders blushed and Zuko cleared his throat while Katara spoke up quickly, "We were hiding while I healed him."

"Nice shirt, Katara," Sokka snickered. She shot a furious glare at her brother and stiffened her shoulders. The two Water Tribe men stood and Hakoda headed down the hall towards the sounds of explosions.

"What's going on, Sokka?" Zuko walked up to the siblings and crossed his arms.

"Well, we've secured the palace for the most part," Sokka started. "Azula is under custody, as well as her Dai Li agents."

"And what of my father?" Zukos' eyes narrowed.

Sokka sighed and shook his head, "Aang couldn't find him. No one knows where he is."

"So this isn't over yet," Katara supplied. Sokka nodded and gestured down the hall, where he followed the path Hakoda had taken.

"No," Sokka replied. "But when he does show his face: we'll be ready."

….


	9. Author's Note

_**Big Long Author's Note**_

Okay guys. If you've been following me, you might have noticed that I'm writing two stories right now. It had been three, but I finished _**Blurred**_ without complications. Well, I'm sort of having some complications with this story as of right now. I have a bad case of writer's block.

SO… I will be putting this story on a short hiatus until I can get some new ideas and stuff hashed out. For now, I'm just going to focus on _**The Phoenix **_until that is finished or until I get some awesomely awesome ideas for _**The Swamp. **_I might be writing some one-shots every once in a while, but it's unlikely.

I just want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed and stayed with me up until now. I understand that my writing could use some work and I'm not the best. I write for fun and I honestly don't want to pursue writing further than just recreational. I'm not going to be attempting fantastical and monumental pieces. This is all for fun. So commenting on my writing style or stuff like that is just annoying. I don't appreciate it.

But if you happen to have any ideas on where this story could go, I'm open for suggestions. No crazy spirit world stuff (if you read _**Touch of Violet**_, I'm not the best at that genre of stuff), nothing too out of the ordinary. Just PM me and we can possibly discuss. I'll give credit as well! :)

I posted this blurb in _**The Phoenix**_, but I'm going to say it again here so everyone gets the gist: My husband is going to be coming home from his deployment soon and if I don't finish these stories by then, both will be on hiatus until about the end of September or early October. I'm trying really hard to get all of this stuff hashed out the best I can, so bear with me if I have to put these on hold because my brain is drained of all creative juices.

Thanks again for reading this story and not just skimming over this A/N. I promise I'll get back to this story as soon as I have enough new material.

Much love,

PearLynn


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